UK Government: Devolution

[@thezeldadragon6202]

Important to note! After this video was released, in July 2021 EVEL was repealed and is no longer in action

[@freyax6622]

Thank you so much. I'm finding all of your videos really helpful!

[@AlanHistoryNerd]

Glad you like them!

[@daneenhashi8855]

Dope videos as always

[@AlanHistoryNerd]

Thank you!

[@elizanorman1097]

thanks so much for this! so helpful :)

[@AlanHistoryNerd]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sebastianlezama31]

Thank you your videos have been really helpful :)

[@AlanHistoryNerd]

Glad you like them!

[@tomstein3165]

thoughts on recent developments in NI regarding sinn feins parliamentary majority and how that might affect the state of the union and irish relations broadly?

[@uzairz4519]

Alan your videos are remarkable. I have a question and a suggestion. The question is that can Scottish Parliament legislate on subjects like environment, education etc in their areas? If so then do you thing this is a constraint on the parliamentary sovereignty of House of Commons? Suggestion is pleased make a video on the local government system in Britain. Thanks.

[@AlanHistoryNerd]

Hi Uzair, the Scottish Parliament can legislate on these areas. This could be argued to impact on Parliamentary Sovereignty, except in theory Parliament could take the power back through an Act of Parliament (this is very very unlikely but Britain is not a Federal system and ultimately the power is with Parliament)

[@CordobaGeneral1234]

Great video my brother :)

[@AlanHistoryNerd]

Thank you 👍

[@aaaaaaa6954]

After the 2021 elections, is it true that snp in Scotland and Labour in Wales have once again formed minority governments? Thank you

[@AlanHistoryNerd]

Yes, In Wales Labour won 30 of the 60 seats so need one vote from another party to get things through. In Scotland the SNP have 64/ 129 and so will work with the Greens on some issues

[@aaaaaaa6954]

@@AlanHistoryNerd oh OK, thanks for the help mate

[@bearhodes6587]

Hi Alan could you give specific examples of how regional devolution in 'metro mayors' has been successful during covid 19?

[@CERTI-SY786]

When the tier system was put in place in 2020, Manchester fell under the highest tier, Andy Burnham didn't want this to happen, so Westminster had to come into an agreement with Andy Burnham over covid restrictions

[@bearhodes6587]

@@CERTI-SY786 thank you!

[@CERTI-SY786]

@@bearhodes6587 Also, Sadiq Khan went against the government and closed schools earlier than they should have before the half term due to high COVID cases, there was a lot of controversy surrounding this

[@aaaaaaa6954]

Great video alan!! If we were to get a question of whether devolution should be extended more in England, do you have any recommendations on what we should write our paragraphs on. I've thought of whether it would improve a) representation and b) whether it would improve participation but I'm not sure whether 2 paragraph would be enough? Thanks so much Alan :)

[@AlanHistoryNerd]

You could also look at accountability and solving the West Lothian question.

[@aaaaaaa6954]

@@AlanHistoryNerd thanks, good idea

[@mihirmanglani5697]

hey, so how would you develop those points for a question like that? cheers

[@Rosie-fz8qm]

Thank you!

[@AlanHistoryNerd]

You're welcome!

[@zaynaameliakhan]

great video thankyou for this whats your opinion of devolution?

[@AlanHistoryNerd]

Glad you like it. Fundamentally I think devolution is a good idea as it brings decision making closer to the people, however the situation in the UK, especially in England is a bit of a mess. A more uniformed system that means all regions/ countries and their people are treated equally would be better.

[@zaynaameliakhan]

@@AlanHistoryNerd Thankyou so much for your opinion, keep up hard work sir. :)

[@lv6638]

what are the two communities in the Northern Ireland Assembly section

[@AlanHistoryNerd]

There is the Unionist Community (want NI to remain part of the UK- DUP, UUP, largely Protestant) and the Nationalist Community (want NI to become part of a united Ireland- Sinn Fein, SDLP, largely Catholic)

[@taofanarchy96-renzomaracas14]

There is also a third “political denomination” in the Assembly, that is classified as “Other” that doesn’t fit into the two main denominations. The major party of the “Other” denomination is the Alliance Party, that have a policy of Joint British-Irish rule over Northern Ireland.

[@josh9671]

I have a question. Was speaking of it to my mate as an idea as he is an American living in the UK. Would this come under a devolution; The country has always has been politically divided. London always has got the special attention and budgets too compared to anywhere else in the country. Some areas get budgets more than others and sometimes it can be purposely done in the lack of funds for the areas what vote for the opposition that are in power. My view of course. Though, how can one man or woman know what’s better for the whole country than its own people. I listened to you talk of devolution for the likes of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as we know them to this day. But, why does everything had to be done in Parliament. Why can’t we just run our own county’s for example? That way wouldn’t that be in the nations interest. For a Labour constituents area to be run by Labour. For an SNP area to be run by SNP or a conservative area to be run by conservative. Where, them county’s can decide where their own taxes go. Whether on schools and education. A fully funded NHS. Environmental things and city developments with having budgets of what their county makes than what their county is given. They can still be a main Prime Minister to represent us internationally. And, certain percentages of gross profits or incomes that are coming into the county in taxes (Nationally the same rate of tax for all county’s) a percentage of that can still go on our national defence budgets of which has to be over 50% agreement of all county’s representatives. A percentage to go towards cities that aren’t doing as well. And, a percentage of a county’s gross profits in tax a certain percentage of that to pay off the national that strictly goes towards the national debt to pay it off by an agreed timeframe. Likewise, with national emergencies like during this pandemic for national collaboration to be participated in. For county representatives to vote on who we do contracts with. On who to invest money on to do track and trace. And, you know put the word democracy back into the country than the letting the pigs run it. In terms of laws or legal means of things like I was talking to my American mate about different states and different laws but do you think it would get to complicated if we did that for county’s? I don’t no I mean would this come under devolution or is that just a word for the likes of if only Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales did this. I’m from Liverpool. If we could run our own county like this we’d be more than better off than double of what we are now. The same would most probably be for most other county’s aswell. If someone came into power and tried to disrupt this system to make all the power be back in the Houses of Parliament and their government. You’d find a lot would vote against it. As, if they are doing what they are suppose to be doing of representing their constituents as if they are the prime ministers of the county’s and they are their for there county’s best interest. You’ll see then a system that falls into place like it should. And, they will vote or should vote against everything being all about London. Should be decided by the people who they represent what their wages are aswell. It then could become it doesn’t matter what party wins as we run our county ourselves and not them per say a less on international affairs on a national prospective. Anyway is this classed as devolution or something else?

[@AlanHistoryNerd]

London has a higher degree of representation and devolution than the rest of England with the London Mayor and the London Assembly. The idea of regional assemblies was put forward by Labour but dropped after the North East rejected the idea in a referendum in 2004, with the suggestion that people in England did not want it (this many no longer be the case). The counties or regions having more power to self govern would be a form of devolution. England divided into regions with similar powers to the Welsh and Scottish Parliaments and Westminster only dealing with national/ international issues was the initial plan. An issue of implementation would be size and where boundaries would be drawn, for example in the North West would Liverpool and Manchester be under the same body or separate ones? Which other areas and towns would be included? But this idea would definitely be devolution.

[@josh9671]

@@AlanHistoryNerd Then, I am a big fan of the devolution means of things I guess... Liverpool and Manchester (Apart from football lol) get on well I find so maybe the areas of what we where classed as before the 1970s as Lancashire, others like Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Cumberland etc etc should be like that. Or, even if it was on the county bases that they are known as to this day. I find over the next 50 years our links and relationships like Liverpool and Manchester to Blackpool will get a lot stronger. As, we have our own means of money and budgets to sky rocket in terms of infrastructure and development. Than just relying on the likes of Parliament and all its MPs on votes and changes that are really not in our best interests. Definitely up in the north of the country I don’t no about anywhere else. Under devolution as explained in my last comment could Parliament un devolution places and turn it back into what it is now. Or, is that dependant on what all them devolution county’s agree on above 50%. Like in a real democracy?

[@amaliapnaglergomez7117]

What are the negatives of policy divergence ?

[@CERTI-SY786]

It's going to be more like a system in the USA which is federal, there is controversy surrounding that There is unequal distribution of powers in the UK, which causes greater conflict

[@aaaaaaa6954]

What is that

[@AlanHistoryNerd]

It can cause confusion e.g. when Covid rules were different in Wales and England, it can cause inequality e.g. free prescriptions and no university fees in Scotland and ultimately it can be seen as damaging to the Union if parts of the UK become increasingly different

[@amaliapnaglergomez7117]

@@AlanHistoryNerd Thank you

[@jackquinlan4142]

Is English votes for English laws no longer in place then ?

[@CERTI-SY786]

Pretty sure it was addressed in 2015

[@aaaaaaa6954]

I thought it was

[@AlanHistoryNerd]

It is still in place just not very effective as laws still need to pass in the whole house as well as the special English only vote

[@tomstein3165]

@@AlanHistoryNerd alan i believe this is incorrect. according to the gov website EVEL was taken out of effect entirely in july 2021

[@AlanHistoryNerd]

@@tomstein3165 yep www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-57828406

[@miles1236]

Rare Alan w

[@samwell2386]

Common you mean

[@miles1236]

@@samwell2386 we will see tmrw if it was a W