28th Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe – 24-26 March 2015

Council of Europe Congress discusses UK devolution

17 years after it all started the UK devolution debate had finally reached Strasbourg. For nearly 2 hours the 318 members of the Council of Europe´s Congress of local and regional authorities discussed the current situation of devolved powers within the United Kingdom. Where it stands, where devolution already happened and where it soon will change anything politicians and people have experienced until now. After more than a decade UK devolution still is an ongoing and open discussion. Tuesday´s Congress debate has clearly shown that.

When the former UK Labour government headed by the then Prime Minister (Scotland-born) Tony Blair promised to hand over some powers from London to the UK nations - to win the General Election 1997 – one year later devolution sprung into live in Scotland, reaching Northern Ireland and Wales shortly after and now spreads onto many regions in England. The Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, opened in May 1999, today is seen as a UK devolution blueprint. It´s a daily proof a fully functioning regional parliament can work in a still very centred British political environment, what it can achieve and how it can again link people to politics. Within its 16 year of existence it has produced a new Scottishness, delivered a new Scottish thinking and helped to develop a modern Scottish identity. This has finally lead to the Scottish independence referendum in September 2014. That Referendum, even if the Indy supporters lost their case and Scotland decided to stay within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, has changed the UK´s political landscape completely. It has kicked-off a much very intensive devolution debate, a debate forcing the Westminster parliament and the UK government to re-think devolution as a whole and what devolution in future will mean for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and finally for the English regions.

The Congress´debate on “The United Kingdom: prospects for devolution” has clearly mirrored the devolution situation under the Conservatives/ Liberal Democrats coalition government in London. After promising Scotland and the Scottish Parliament / Scottish Government many more powers, e.g. tax raising powers, as a big thank you for staying in the UK, The Right Honourable The Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government in his Congress speech stated clearly what the so-called power regions in England can expect, for a start. The UK´s Northern Power Initiative for Northern England will present the Greater Manchester Council a direct elected Lord mayor, it will bring more influence on e.g. policing and greater control of the National Health Service in the region. More London money raising will be transferred to Manchester to e.g. support local housing initiatives. Devolution for the Greater Sheffield region will follow soon. The Scottish Referendum debate has brought devolution to the English regions, with London already having a Greater London Assembly and a direct elected Lord Mayor. The current UK government´s target is set, as Lord Ahmad put it for the UK government: ”It´s for the local people to decide how the framework of devolution in their area will look like”.

Against this English background the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff will get more powers for transport and Energy while Northern Ireland will e.g get more corporate tax powers. In Scotland the `more powers” discussion seems to be a never-ending story. The Smith Commission, led by Scottish businessman Lord Smith of Kelvin and set-up after the Referendum to bring all Scottish parties onto one table to discuss all future Scottish powers issues, has published his final report how future powers could handed over to Scotland.  Beside others it looks like Scotland could get more power not only to spend money it gets from London, the Scottish budget stands at about 30bn pounds a year, but also to raise their own income and earnings tax in future. The Right Honourable The Lord WALLACE OF TANKERNESS PC QC, Advocate General for Scotland – a former Scottish Government minister now speaking for the UK government – summoned it up in his Congress speech: “The Scottish Parliament will be one of the most powerful parliaments in Europe!”

A description Christina McKelvie, a Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament (SP) in Edinburgh and Convenor of the SP’s European and External Relations Committee thoroughly rejected in her answer. She sees the “Smith new powers” for Scotland by far for not being enough and only a small step to Independence. Indy still is the SNP´s main target. As long as it will not be possible to reach it within the UK “family of nations” all powers helping to make Scotland more or less independent will be again and again demanded from Edinburgh!

All current polls for the May UK General Election support McKelvie´s views. As it stands no future UK government, be it Labour or Conservatives, will be able to govern without the support of the Scottish National Party SNP. The losing party of the September 2014 Referendum, polls prognose, could get as much as 50 seats out of 56 Scottish seats for Westminster. Given that result the it would raise the question if the party would balance the power in Westminster, either in a coalition or even a minority government! 

The current and ongoing debate on handing over more powers to the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish government has kicked-off a similar discussion in England.  David Sparks, Chairman of the Local Government Association of England and Wales, and Councillor of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council in his statement demanded also devolved powers from London for the English regions and councils. “The leaders of the English councils are in urgent need of money to fund it and leaders to lead the devolution discussion”, how he described the current devolution discussion in England. Like the example of Scotland had already shown England now should get, as he put it, “double devolution”, meaning powers from London should be devolved to the English councils and as a further step onto local level. “7 out 10 people in England trust local councils more than the UK government”, he said. “The current celebration of 800 years of the Magna Carta, the constitutional foundation stone for England, would deliver a good chance to finally intensify the discussion in England how new powers for English regions and councils could and would look like.”