On 25 May 2016 the House of Lords Constitution Committee published its report, The Union and Devolution which was sparked by concerns that the process of devolution has failed to take into account the needs of the UK as a whole. The inquiry focused on the Union, considering what binds the constituent parts of the UK together, and how the Union could be strengthened and reinforced. The inquiry explored two key themes. First, the principles that should underlie the existence and governance of the Union and the exercise of power, both centrally and by the devolved nations. Secondly, practical steps that could stabilise and strengthen the Union in line with those underlying principles.
The Political Studies Association gave written evidence and a number of its members, including Chair, Professor Matt Flinders, gave oral evidence.
The Political Studies Association addressed a key aspect of the issue, saying that:
the whole debate on English devolution has been an elite-to-elite one. Whilst making occasional reference to how [English votes for English laws], City Deals and the Northern Powerhouse agenda would help [in] improving democracy, in practice so far the government has paid very little attention to what the people really want from devolution in England (or if they have any appetite for it at all).
The full report is available to download here.
More information on the work of the Constitution Committee and its inquiry can be found here.
