This book is the first in-depth study of the debates over devolution in the four nations of the UK in the period up to 1939. It explores divergent trends and attitudes towards the principle of devolution at both local and national (UK) levels, explains the limitations of devolution as a political ideal and the inherent contradictions in the debates over devolution which were unresolvable in the period under study.
The book also demonstrates the enduring potency of an all-British context and of the influence and power of those who wished to defend the status quo. It investigates the role...

This book presents a comparative perspective on the new dynamics of electoral competition following devolution to Scotland and Wales. It brings together leading experts on elections, political parties and regional politics from Britain, Europe and North America to explore the dynamics and interactions of national and regional arenas of electoral competition. Chapters include theoretical reflections on the relationship between regional and national elections, and a range of country case studies. The aim of the non-British case studies is to establish both empirical benchmarks and a framework...

This edited book, written by a collection of scholars with an interest in Northern Ireland, tracks its uneasy experience with devolution following the optimistic political period associated with the 1998 Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement. The volume brings together researchers from the Economic and Social Research Council's (ESRC) 'Devolution and Constitutional Change' Programme and other experts to record four key perspectives on Northern Ireland. First, it considers the inextricable link between devolution and constitutional developments. Second, it examines how the main political parties...

Devolution to Scotland and Wales represented the most fundamental reform of the British state for almost a century. Ten years on, how successful has the reform been? Drawing on the views of citizens, elected representatives and interest groups in Scotland and Wales, this book provides an answer.
The book is based on a wide ranging programme of research, involving dedicated surveys and interviews across Scotland, Wales and England. The results provide important new evidence on how devolution has been seen to have performed. What are its perceived achievements? What are its shortcomings? Is...

In 2007 Labour lost an election in Scotland for the first time in half a century and the SNP went on to form the Scottish Government. This book explains why. Based on a unique three-wave survey of the Scottish electorate, it can truly be described as the first full-scale Scottish national election study. As such, it is notable not only for its innovative methodology but also because theories and concepts are taken from the recent electoral studies literature and applied to Scotland. Other questions investigated include the impact of campaigning and of the party leaders (at both Scottish and...

This book offers the first account of what the First Minister, Peter Robinson, describes as the most settled period of devolution in Northern Ireland for almost forty years. It traces the tortuous path to devolved government, the political instability which constantly threatened the institutions, and since May 2007 the bedding down of devolution and its impact so far on the people of Northern Ireland.
The book parallels accounts of devolved government in Scotland and Wales. For years Northern Ireland has been the subject of academic enquiry relating to political, constitutional and...