British Labour Government Now Really Only Controls England - Pt.1

The United Kingdom increasingly functions as four politically different parts sharing one state. Since devolution began in 1998, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have gained extensive control over domestic policy, leaving the British Government* directly responsible for major public services only in England.

This creates a constitutional imbalance rarely explained honestly to workers across England.

A British Labour government elected across the UK may formally govern Britain / UK, but in practice it directly controls health, education, housing and local government only in England.

Scottish NHS policy is decided in Edinburgh. Welsh education policy is decided in Cardiff. Northern Irish policing and infrastructure are decided in Belfast etc.

The UK Government still controls defence and foreign policy etc but these are ‘not the services’ most people deal with daily. (the 2nd article will explore tax collection and distribution across the UK in more depth).

Scotland possesses the strongest devolved settlement. Holyrood controls health, education, justice, transport, local government and parts of taxation and welfare. Scotland even sets its own income tax bands and rates.

Wales has gradually expanded its powers and now controls health, education, housing, transport and agriculture. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland operates under a unique post-Good Friday Agreement system with control over policing, justice and many domestic services.

The result is growing political fragmentation across the UK.

Devolved governments often distance themselves politically from Westminster while continuing to receive substantial Treasury funding. This allows nationalist parties in Scotland and Wales to build increasingly separate political identities while still benefiting from UK-wide redistribution.

England, despite generating the overwhelming majority of UK tax revenue through its larger economy and population, has no parliament of its own. Scotland has Holyrood. Wales has the Senedd. Northern Ireland has Stormont. England is governed directly through Westminster and the UK government.

This leaves England funding most state expenditure while lacking a separate national legislature which leaves the workers across England in a weak position when laws are being passed.

The long-term effect is a Union of nations moving in different directions politically, economically and constitutionally. The UK now contains different NHS systems, different education systems and increasingly different political priorities.

The original aim of devolution was to stabilise the United Kingdom by reducing Scottish nationalism. Instead, the opposite has happened. Devolved institutions increasingly serve as platforms for further constitutional separation.

The British government may still carry the title of governing the United Kingdom, but on the issues shaping everyday life most directly, it increasingly governs England alone.

The following chart highlights what major devolved powers the other 3 have.

Major Devolved Powers

In the 2nd article, entitled “Taxpayers Across England Will Weep After Reading This,” we will examine the growing controversy surrounding how tax revenues are collected in England and redistributed across the United Kingdom.

Stephen Morris
General Secretary
Workers of England Union

References

(UK Parliament House of Commons Library, what is Devolution? House of Commons Library, The West Lothian Question, House of Commons Library, The Barnett Formula and Fiscal Devolution, Institute for Government, Barnett Formula Explained and numerous different media outlets)

*When including Northern Ireland, it is more accurate to say the UK government rather than the British government, although "British government or Westminster " are commonly used in refer to the centre of the UK Government in London.