Devolution
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The draft Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill has both strengths and weaknesses but whatever its merits, says Keith Shaw, it needs to be seen as the beginning rather than the end of the process.
Professor Kirstein Rummery discusses the Fairer, Caring Nations research project, which is investigating the impact of childcare and long-term care policies on gender equality. The project is a comparative study focussing on both devolved and state-level nations.
Local government is often seen as the Cinderella of devolution. Mark Sandford of the House of Commons Library takes a first look at the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill to see where government thinking stands on the subject.
The suggestion by the SNP that success at the Westminster election provides a mandate for devolution of the National Minimum Wage may create some unexpected complications, says David Eiser.
The SNP believes that the scale of its victory at the General Election amounts to a mandate for the devolution of further powers (beyond those recommended by the Smith process) to the Scottish Parliament. In particular, they have called for devolution of powers over the minimum wage, both in their election manifesto and in subsequent announcements.
The processes of devolution within the UK has taken place at different speeds and in response to varying demands. However, explains Bettina Petersohn, such an approach inevitably leads to asymmetric outcomes.
It is a peculiar feature of devolution in the United Kingdom that each nation is treated differently, with its own settlement geared to local political demands.
Foreign observers look with puzzlement, seeing it as British pragmatism taken to extremes.
