Devolution

Scottish devolution at 20: some hits, some misses and that eternal maybe

Stephen Richard — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 18:07:49 +0000

Scottish devolution at 20: some hits, some misses and that eternal maybe

Primary Author or Creator

Christopher A Whatley

Stephen Richard Tue, 10/12/2021 - 19:07

Additional Author(s) / Creators

The Conversation

Date Published

Sun, 09/08/2019 - 12:00

Category

Devolution

Type of Resource

News Media

Fast Facts

Many hoped devolution would kill nationalism stone dead, to paraphrase George Robertson 1997 referendum. His Labour colleagues in particular failed to grasp Scots’ powerful sense of nationhood. It was another Labour man, the late Tam Dalyell, who argued that devolution could lead to independence. Alex Salmond asserted that independence was “rendered inevitable when the Scottish parliament was established”.

Resource Address (URL)

https://theconversation.com/scottish-devolution-at-20-some-hits-some-misses-and…

Keywords

Scottish Parliament

Devolution

Language English

A Sign on the Road

Stephen Richard — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 10:16:24 +0000

A Sign on the Road

Primary Author or Creator

John S Warren

Stephen Richard Tue, 10/12/2021 - 11:16

Additional Author(s) / Creators

Bella Caledonia

Date Published

Tue, 10/12/2021 - 12:00

Category

Devolution

Type of Resource

News Media

Fast Facts

A critique of "Strength in Union: The Case for the United Kingdom", and especially Alister Jack's view of Scotland in the Union.

Resource Address (URL)

https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2021/10/12/a-sign-on-the-road/

Keywords

Language English

The UK’s Brexit mismanagement, Open Minds on Independence #11

Stephen Richard — Sun, 10 Oct 2021 07:06:16 +0000

The UK’s Brexit mismanagement, Open Minds on Independence #11

Primary Author or Creator

The National

Stephen Richard Sun, 10/10/2021 - 08:06

Additional Author(s) / Creators

Believe in Scotland

Alternative Published Date

2021

Category

Economy

Type of Resource

News Media

Fast Facts

There were a number of mistakes made in negotiating a Brexit arrangement.
This was imposed on Scotland against its will. It has turned out to be a disaster for key industries.

1. Ignoring the wishes of Scotland and the other devolved nations

2. Sticking so rigidly to “getting Brexit done” that it made an acceptable trade deal impossible. It was immediately apparent there were serious problems.

3. Underestimating just how big a problem taking Northern Ireland out of the EU would be.

4. Using Brexit as an attack on devolution and to reduce the powers of the Scottish Parliament

5. Breaking promises to keep Scotland involved and informed in negotiations

Resource Address (URL)

https://www.thenational.scot/news/19174983.open-minds-independence-11-uks-brexi…

Keywords

Language English

Scotland, Brexit and Broken Promise of Democracy

Stephen Richard — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 18:02:19 +0000

Scotland, Brexit and Broken Promise of Democracy

Primary Author or Creator

Klaus Stolz

Stephen Richard Tue, 10/05/2021 - 19:02

Category

Independence

Fast Facts

The perception of a democratic deficit began in the Thatcher premiership, long before Brexit. Scottish self government came to be positively linked with European intergation.

More details

A chapter from Contested Britain: Brexit, Austerity and Agency, edited by Marius Guderjan and Hugh Mackay.

Resource Address (URL)

https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=cGXXDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT181&dq=W…

Keywords

Political participation

Austerity

Democracy

Devolution

Language English

Minimizing the Cost of Union: Fiscal Autonomy and the Case of Scotland

Stephen Richard — Sat, 02 Oct 2021 17:54:39 +0000

Minimizing the Cost of Union: Fiscal Autonomy and the Case of Scotland

Primary Author or Creator

Paul Hallwood

Stephen Richard Sat, 10/02/2021 - 18:54

Alternative Published Date

2020

Category

Public Finance

Type of Resource

Academic Paper

Fast Facts

Argues for federalism in public funding where taxation is devolved. Proposes that this financial autonomy would provide a better connection between democracy and public finance.

More details

Propositions from the theory of fiscal federalism are used to argue for closer matching of taxes raised in Scotland and spending by the Holyrood government. Incentives would then be enhanced for Holyrood to provide public goods and services in quantities Scottish taxpayers are willing to pay for. Empirical evidence shows that this increase in vertical balance improves rates of regional and national economic growth. Two sequential games are used to show that whether Scotland chooses first or second in the public spending game with Westminster it still ends up with overly-generous funding. The argument is made that in fairness to taxpayers in the rest of the UK (increased horizontal balance) Scottish fiscal autonomy should be moved to.

IN: Hallwood P. (2020) Minimizing the Cost of Union: Fiscal Autonomy and the Case of Scotland. In: Interpreting Historical Sequences Using Economic Models. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53854-5_8

Paywall

Resource Address (URL)

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-53854-5_8#citeas

Keywords

Democracy

Financial autonomy

Devolution

Language English

The Politics of Scotland’s Public Finances

Stephen Richard — Sat, 02 Oct 2021 17:46:49 +0000

The Politics of Scotland’s Public Finances

Primary Author or Creator

David Heald

Stephen Richard Sat, 10/02/2021 - 18:46

Additional Author(s) / Creators

Michael Keating,

Alternative Published Date

2020

Category

Public Finance

Type of Resource

Academic Paper

Fast Facts

The early operation of the 2016 Scottish Fiscal Framework and the divergence of UK and Scottish income tax rates highlights the practical issues of devolved tax policy in the context of UK fiscal centralization.

More details

Politics and fiscal mechanics play interwoven roles in the public finances of devolved Scotland. Asymmetric devolution, in the context of divergent economic performance and relative population size and growth rates, has contributed to the longevity of the Barnett formula. Though criticized for either overfunding or underfunding Scotland, its resilience stems from its role as political convention in reducing overt conflict, and from maintaining the expenditure autonomy of the Scottish Parliament. The low level of self-financing from devolved taxes stimulated allegations that the Parliament lacked accountability and fiscal responsibility. Extended taxation powers advanced through the cautious Calman Commission to the rushed Smith Commission, and were driven by imperatives for a ‘counter-offer’ after the 2014 Independence Referendum. The early operation of the 2016 Scottish Fiscal Framework and the divergence of UK and Scottish income tax rates highlights the practical issues of devolved tax policy in the context of UK fiscal centralization. These developments have been driven by changes in Scottish political circumstances rather than by changes in fiscal fundamentals.

IN: The Oxford Handbook of Scottish Politics

Paywall

Resource Address (URL)

https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198825098.001.0001/ox…

Keywords

Devolution

Public finance

Taxation

Language English

Barnett formula

Stephen Richard — Sat, 02 Oct 2021 17:23:25 +0000

Barnett formula

Primary Author or Creator

Wikipedia

Stephen Richard Sat, 10/02/2021 - 18:23

Alternative Published Date

2021

Category

Public Finance

Type of Resource

Wikipedia

Fast Facts

The Barnett formula is a mechanism used by the Treasury in the UK to automatically adjust the amounts of public expenditure allocated to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to reflect changes in spending levels allocated to public services in England. The formula applies to a large proportion, but not the whole, of the devolved governments' budgets.

Resource Address (URL)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnett_formula

Keywords

Barnett formula

Devolution

Language English