M O N I T O R Issue 13 The Constitution Unit Bulletin Dec 2000 The State and the Nations Tomaney in Newcastle. In December the Constitution Contents Unit launches its latest book, The ‘Seen from Whitehall, the mood is State and the Nations: the First Year one of quiet assurance’, Robert of Devolution in the UK. The book Devolution Hazell added. ‘But look at the Wales 2 brings together the first fruits of individual country chapters in the Northern Ireland 3 the Unit’s £1m 5-year research book, and a different picture Scotland 3 programme on The Nations and emerges. Here devolution can at English Regions 4 4 Regions: the Dynamics of Devol- best be described as having got off The Centre ution, which is funded by the to a slow and rather shaky start’. Parliamentary Reform 5 Leverhulme Trust. The book will The opening chapters record in Elections and Parties 6 be launched at the Unit’s first detail the savagery of the press Human Rights 7 State of the Union Lecture at attacks on the new Scottish The Courts 7 Westminster on 11 December. The Parliament; the instability of the Freedom of Information 8 lecture, which was to have been European News 8 devolution settlement in Wales; 9 given by Donald Dewar, will now Overseas News the fragility of the power-sharing be given by Robert Hazell. executive in Northern Ireland; People on the Move 9 and the growing interest in ‘I had sent Donald the proofs of 10 regional government in England. Constitution Unit News our book, and I was really looking forward to his response’, Robert The second half of the book Unit Project Reports Hazell said. ‘We have dedicated records how central government Regional Government in 10 the book to his memory. I must is being reshaped, with two England now give a lecture which is Regional Government in pioneering chapters on the impact 10 worthy of him’. The lecture will France and Spain of devolution on Westminster and Coalition Government in highlight two of the key findings Whitehall. Westminster is making Germany 11 in the book: the instability of the a series of sideways steps towards Top Courts 11 devolution settlement, and the becoming a quasi-federal Parlia- Managing Conflict after Devolution 11 search for answers to the English ment; and in the House of Question. The first half of the Commons structures and proc- Publications Received 11 book contains expert accounts of edures are emerging which could Bulletin Board 12 the first year of devolution in make Westminster a proxy for an the new devolved administ- Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland English Parliament, in ways rations. It gives details of all the and the English regions, written Robert Hazell will develop in his by the Unit’s research partners in lecture. Whitehall has seen more each country: Graham Leicester in rapid changes, and the Whitehall Concordats and Cabinet Office Scotland, John Osmond in Wales, chapter gives a full account of the Devolution Guidance Notes, and Rick Wilford and Robin Wilson in intergovernmental machinery put the first meetings of the Joint Northern Ireland, and John in place to handle relations with Ministerial Committee on Happy New Year to all our readers! The Unit has recently redesigned its website: take a fresh look! SCHOOL of PUBLIC POLICY You can find further details of up-coming events and 29/30 Tavistock Square, publications on the back page, and on the flyer enclosed. London WC1H 9QU email: [email protected] www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/ ISSN 1465-4377 Devolution and the British-Irish Council. (cont. p.2) 2 Monitor: Issue 13 - Dec 2000 ISSN 1465-4377 State and the Union cont from p.1 pensioners to travel free on local bus services The closing chapters cover changing public from 2002. However, of longer term import so attitudes to devolution and the Union, and the far as the devolution settlement is concerned is a new governance arrangements in London. Like commitment to create an independent the rest of the book, they contain a mine of commission to examine the Assembly’s powers useful and up-to-date information. The aim is to and electoral arrangements. This will be provide a complete contemporary record, with established during the current term but will not all the relevant facts and figures: in all the book report until after the next Assembly election in contains over 70 charts and tables. As a volume May 2003. of record the book should provide an essential More immediately the Agreement commits to up-to-date guide for practitioners, and for securing ‘the independence of the Office of the students and teachers. The Unit plans to produce Presiding Officer and the civil servants that a similar book each year for the next five years, work there.’ This undertaking puts in place a to provide a comprehensive account of defining characteristic of a parliamentary body, devolution as it unfolds, and to explain how and thereby a de facto move away from the devolution reshapes the British state and its Assembly’s de jure constitutional status as a component nations. corporate body, laid down in the 1998 Government of Wales Act. The change was • To order the book The State and the Nations: expressly recognised by the Assembly in October The First Year of Devolution in the UK, when it approved (by 50 votes with none complete the flyer enclosed with this opposing) a new Standing Order No 28 mailing. • establishing a House Committee to advise the To attend the lecture please complete the Presiding Officer and to determine a separate events flyer enclosed. £22.3 million budget for his Office. The Plaid • To order the text of the lecture, please Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones greeted the complete the publications order form. change as ‘an historical step forward’ expressing the hope that it would be ‘a way of persuading Devolution the government in London that the days of the body corporate are over.’ Wales The National Assembly was put on a completely Importing coalition politics into Wales proved a new footing in October with the announcement shock to the system. Most Labour AMs were of a coalition government between Labour and unaware of the development until the day before the Liberal Democrats. At a stroke the Assembly the announcement. It prompted the first executive was provided with an assured resignation of a cabinet minister, Tom majority and a programme for government, two Middlehurst, who had been responsible for post- attributes that had eluded it during the first year 16 education, who objected to Liberal Democrats of devolution. This transformation came with a entering the cabinet. It also led to a revolt by price tag, however: two seats in the cabinet for some Labour local government leaders, appalled the Liberal Democrats with their leader Michael at the Partnership Agreement’s commitment to German becoming Deputy First Minister in entertain the prospect of proportional charge of Economic Development, while his representation for local government elections. colleague Jenny Randerson became Minister for Culture, an entirely new portfolio. Northern Ireland It has been the best, but also the worst, of times These ministerial titles - previously cabinet in Northern Ireland. members were known as Secretaries - signalled more substantive constitutional developments The four-party executive finally agreed in on a broad front. The 25-page Partnership October what it would substantively do after 30 Agreement that took nearly two months to months of high (or, perhaps, low) political negotiate contains a raft of policies across the manoeuvring between the ethno-nationalist range of the Assembly’s responsibilities. protagonists. Here, at last, was a draft Headline commitments are free school milk for programme for government with a confidence- all children under seven, a freezing of building message of ‘making a difference’. One prescription charges, and legislation to allow with some ‘joined-up’ sophistication and the Monitor: Issue 13 - Dec 2000 3 ISSN 1465-4377 capacity thus to cement the partisan ministerial Scotland fiefdoms. Here, also, was a draft budget, for the Much has changed in Scotland. We have a new first time reflecting regional priorities. leader of the opposition and a new First Meanwhile, there was patient work in the Minister. Many had called for a fresh start at the Assembly (if criticism of its lack of end of a disappointing first year for the new transparency) and the Civic Forum met. political system, but none had imagined this. But a poll showed confidence in the agreement John Swinney took over from Alex Salmond as falling; sharply amongst Catholics to rock- leader of the SNP in September. Salmond bottom amongst Protestants. And the instit- stepped down after ten years in the post - his utions of the agreement - their interdependence future role still looks uncertain. Swinney has meaning shocks destabilise the whole baroque quietly sought to support the gradualist forces in architecture - came under increasing strain. his party - concentrating on becoming an The failure of the policing commission to effective opposition in Holyrood and generate a consensual report led to a Police Bill overhauling internal policy and co-ordination both unionists and nationalists opposed. Ethnic machinery for that purpose. hurt, mobilised in the Protestant community Labour’s change of leadership was more over the loss of the Royal Ulster Constabulary dramatic and shocking following the sudden name, struck a body-blow to David Trimble as death of Donald Dewar on 11 October. With a Ulster Unionist Party leader and First Minister, parliamentary requirement to fill the First as the Democratic Unionists (already Minister vacancy within 28 days, Labour could undermining the executive by their absence) not run a formal leadership election in time and won a hitherto safe UUP seat.