Evaluate The View That Devolution Has Been A Success.

Question 1

P1: Agree Impact on Democracy, Respond to The Concerns

Answer 1

1. Left wing SNP government that has
   introduced policies including free prescription charges, free tuition fees and a higher top rate of income tax than in the rest of the UK.
2. Sadiq Khan introduced policies to improve the provision of services . Free school meals for all primary school students in London were introduced in September 2023. £135m/year initiative cost-of-living
   pressures on families. Rest of England, only children from low-income families continue to receive free school meals.
3. Devolved bodies are elected using more proportional electoral systems.
4. Burnham won with 63.4% of the vote,
   country-leading approach to tackling homelessness and improvement in the cityʼs transport

Question 2

P1: Disagree Creates Inequality

Answer 2

1. Policy divergence.University tuition is free in Scotland but not in England; NHS waiting times vary across nations.
2. Regions managing their own taxes can reduce the ability to share resources nationally — which may worsen inequality.
3. Low election turnout undermines legitimacy: S (2021): 64% NI (2022): 64% W (2021): 47%Greater Manchester mayoral election (2024): 32%
4. Sewel Convention is sometimes ignored:
   The UK Parliament can still legislate on devolved matters, even without consent.
   Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 .Devolved governments saw it as infringing on their control of public services and workers’ rights.

Question 3

P2: Disagree Unity of the UK Resentment and Nationalisation.

Answer 3

1. Asymmetric devolution). Policing is devolved to Scotland and Northern Ireland, but remains controlled by Westminster in Wales and England.
2. Barnett Formula Causes Regional Resentment. Allocates different levels of funding per head to each nation.E receives less per capita than S or NI. This fuels inter-nation resentment, particularly in England.
3. Fuels Nationalism. SNP has been in power since 2007; came close to independence in the 2014 referendum. Sinn Féin became the largest party after the 2022 Assembly elections promoting a united Ireland.

Question 4

P2: Disagree Unity of the UK leaders

Answer 4

1. 2023, Sunak invoked a Section 35 Order for the first time to block Scotland’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill.
2. Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan criticised Westminster in 2025: Demanded fairer treatment on wind energy profits from the Crown Estate.Opposed cuts to disability benefits and winter fuel payments. Promised to “call out” Labour when it “gets it wrong for Wales”.

Question 5

P2: Agree UK Unity

Answer 5

1. Although nationalist support has grown, no part of the UK has voted for independence.
2. After decades of conflict during The Troubles, devolution created a power-sharing arrangement that helped stabilise the region.
   3.Recent rises in nationalist sentiment are argued to be due more to Conservative government unpopularity than devolution itself.Devolution is not the problem — bad relations and poor UK leadership.
3. Keir Starmer’s government is engaging more constructively with devolved bodies: Visited S, W, and NI within days of becoming PM. Pledged to reduce breaches of the Sewel Convention with a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in manifesto

Question 6

P3: Agree Better Governance

Answer 6

1. . ScotRail was nationalised in 2022.Cheaper fares due to subsidies, Glasgow to Edinburgh return ≈ £10 (vs. triple that in England).
2. Andy Burnham): Bus services brought under local control ,capped fares at £2 before England did the same.Launched the Bee Network a connected system of walking and cycling routes across the region.
3. High-profile mayors and devolved leaders can raise issues and attract funding: March 2025: Devolved mayors successfully lobbied for over £1 billion in new regional transport funding.
4. Scotland led the way by banning smoking in public places — policy later adopted in the rest of the UK.

Question 7

P3: Disagree Governance Falling Behind the UK

Answer 7

1. NHS waiting times: You’re twice as likely to wait over a year in Scotland or Northern Ireland compared to England.In Wales, 1 in 20 people are on year-plus NHS waiting lists.
2. PISA rankings show Scotland and Wales underperforming compared to England.
3. Devolution has been dysfunctional in NI: Stormont has experienced repeated suspensions due to parties refusing to cooperate (the DUP boycotting over the NI Protocol). Same-sex marriage was legalised by the UK Parliament during a suspension.
4. Stormont was suspended for nearly two years after the 2022 election.