Is devolution likely to invigorate Celtic nationalisms and lead to the break up of Britain?
Is devolution likely to invigorate Celtic nationalisms and lead to the break up of Britain? In 1997 the people of Scotland and Wales voted in favour of a Scottish parliament and a Welsh assembly with devolved powers. The referendum was the second attempt by a Labour government to devolve power from Westminster, the impetus being a rise in Scottish and Welsh nationalism in the 1960's and 1970's. The increase in republicanism in Northern Ireland was different. It was not simply numerical like in Scotland and Wales. Support for the republican parties in Northern Ireland had not increased at the ballot box. What had increased was the scale of the divide in Northern Ireland, leading to violence and the need for change. Whereas devolution in Northern Ireland was seen as reducing the link between Northern Ireland and the British Government, devolution in Scotland and Wales was used to quell Scottish and Welsh nationalism, attempting to maintain the unity of Britain. 1 Scottish and Welsh nationalism, expressed through support for the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru, increased in the 1970's. Prior to the 1970's the SNP had no MPs in Westminster. At the second general election in 1974 the SNP had won 11 seats in the House of Commons. As British nationalism reduced as its world status became less significant, nationalism in Scotland and Wales began to increase.2 The discovery
Scottish Devolution
Politics B: The United Kingdom and Scotland. Outcome 2 Report. Contents Page Contents Page Number . The process of establishing devolution in Scotland 3 2. The Scottish Parliament and Executive 4 3. Impact of Devolution in Scotland 6 4. The Scottish parliamentary electoral system 7 5. Concepts relating to Scotland’s constitutional position 9 6.Appendixes; 6.1 Table of Scottish Parliament Election Results 7. References and Bibliography 10 . The process of establishing devolution in Scotland P.3 There has been more change in the devolved decision making of Scotland since the mid 1990s than at any time since Scotland united with England in1707. Pressure for devolved power grew in the years after the Second World War. Before this there was little demand for ‘Scottish’, rather than ‘British’ solutions to challenges. For example the Scottish National Party only formed in 1936. Changes
Scottish Devolution.
SCOTTISH DEVOLUTION On 25 March 1707, the Scottish Parliament met for the last time in Edinburgh and just over a month later it had moved 400 miles south to unite with England to form the Parliament of Great Britain. However, Scotland had managed to retain its very distinctive identity while enjoying the benefits and problems of a wider political association because it has maintained its own legal system, educational structure and local government from 1707 to the present day. Scottish (and Welsh) nationalism flourished in the late 1960s and 1970s and was sustained in the case of Scotland by visions of Scots taking all the North Sea oil revenues. ("It's Scotland's oil"). Many of those who voted for the SNP did so as a form of protest vote against the apparent incompetence and mismanagement of the economy by both Labour and Conservative governments, rather than because they wanted to see the break-up of the United Kingdom. This can be shown by the result of the 1979 Devolution debate. Although a slight majority voted for devolution, not enough people for the vote to be carried, (the West Lothian question). As a result, the word "devolution" has never fully regained its popularity in Scotland. Home Rule, which does not carry the implication of something being 'handed down' from Westminster, is now used by those who want change that stops short of full independence. Calvert
'Pluralists and Marxists provide fundamentally different accounts of the distribution of political power'. Discuss.
'Pluralists and Marxists provide fundamentally different accounts of the distribution of political power'. Discuss. There are numerous distinct differences between the pluralist and Marxist accounts of the distribution of power. Pluralists emphasise that political power is not concentrated in the hands of one particular group, but instead, it is dispersed among a number of different groups. They argue that political power can and should be regarded as analytically distinct from economic power. In contrast, Marxists argue that there is a ruling elite that economically dominates and exploits the rest of society. However, the two approaches should not be seen as static entities, there are in fact important areas of overlap and convergence between some pluralist and Marxist concepts. The main thesis of the pluralist argument is that political power is dispersed and not concentrated, therefore ensuring an open political system in a responsive state. This dispersion of power is assisted by the presence of a large number of groups. However, pluralists do recognise that there needs to be certain features in place to ensure that a pluralist political system prevails. Firstly, there is a need for social pluralism, which prevents majority tyranny, however, although this is a necessity, it does not in itself constitute a pluralist political system, this also requires seven
To what extent was popular pressure an important factor in determining the progress of the campaign for parliamentary reform in the period 1780-1885?
To what extent was popular pressure an important factor in determining the progress of the campaign for parliamentary reform in the period 1780-1885? The demand for political reform within the United Kingdom was an issue that had been raised in the middle of the 18th century as Parliament before 1789 had reflected medieval circumstances, where numerous English counties, for example Cornwall, sent only a fewer number of MPs to Parliament than Scotland. Large industrial towns such as Manchester and Birmingham, consisting of 320,000 people, did not send a single representative to the upper chamber of Parliament. In a country whose population exceeded 24 million in 1831, only 500,000 were enfranchised and many were open to influence by social superiors or were victims of outright bribery. This underlines the undemocratic nature of the Parliamentary and Electoral system, as land was the basis of wealth and prestige. Support for Parliamentary reform increased alongside the French Revolution as political consciousness was raised but the public were divided in what they wanted. However, popular pressure also was an important factor in determining the progress of the campaign for parliamentary reform even though initially the reform movement was not unified with different groups having different objectives. The British radicals had made a strong case for political reform. The French
Votes For Women.
Votes For Women Question One A Campaign for women's suffrage developed in the years after 1870 because of the disadvantages women had in the community. Women in these times were considered as second class citizens. Women created this campaign because they wanted to be ordinary citizens and have an equal status to men. Although they sought independence, men were skeptical and objected to them saying that they were more likely to vote for the best looking man or would take most of their time choosing what dress to wear. In the 1800's, both rich and poor women had to depend on men when it came to money. Husbands practically owned their wives, the property and earnings all belonged to the husband and they would always keep custody of the children when divorced. Men were even allowed to imprison their wives in his own home. Many working class women had to go to work whilst many rich and upper class women stayed at home which signified that their families were better off than others. Women were there to obey their husbands and please them, if not they had the authority to beat them. Another reason which contributed to the foundation of the campaigning for Women's Suffrage was the poor education system for girls. All children were taught to read and write but in 1878, 'Domestic Economy', a new law was introduced which meant giving girls lessons in washing, ironing and various
