A Study On Devolution In England Since 1997

The United Kingdom has a unitary state system based on parliamentary sovereignty and a political and cultural tradition of centralization and gradualism.It has long demonstrated its uniqueness in the form of local governance,such as the absence of regional and local legislative bodies,and only ceremonial mayors in big cities.After the New Labour came to power in 1997,devolution was introduced in Scotland,Wales,Northern Ireland and London.Devolution in England has gradually entered the political agenda and has become the focus of British constitutional reform and academic research.For a long time,academic circles at home and abroad have discussed the devolution in Scotland,Wales,and Northern Ireland,and systematic research on the English devolution has been rare,especially in China.In recent years,new breakthroughs in the reform of regional governance in England and new challenges brought about by Brexit have opened up a space for academic innovation in understanding the theory and practice of English devolution.This research focuses on the causes,processes,and prospects of devolution in England,and provides a deep understanding of the manifestations and basic characteristics of English devolution in the context of globalization,European integration,and the localization reform of Western European countries.Studies have shown that English devolution is an exploration of the modernization of local governance in the main component of the United Kingdom,and has both the characteristics of national governance and regional governance.It mainly includes three levels of reforms:first,solving the West Lothian Question after the devolution in Scotland and other regions;second,the establishment and abolition of local development agencies,directly elected mayors in big cities and the establishment of combined authorities;third,devolving power to the private sector,communities and the public through public-private partnerships in England.This devolution reform was not achieved simply by setting up regional governments in England or dividing several regional governments within England geographically,which reflects the complexity and many constraints of devolution in England.First,the devolution in England is to a large extent accompanied and even driven by the devolution plans aiming at solving the national problems in Scotland,Northern Ireland and other regions in Britain.The strengthening of English identity aggravates the different cognition and conflicts of interest between England and other regions in Britain,which has a negative impact on the unity of the UK.Second,it is also a long-term process for English devolution to run in and adjust to the existing governance system,especially under the British progressive political and cultural tradition.Some people are also concerned about the efficiency reduction and cost increase that may be caused by new tiers of government Third,the development of English devolution is also constrained by the party politics in Britain.The devolution proposed by the New Labour was initially resisted by the Conservative Party,which advocated centralization.In 2010,the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government gradually adjusted their positions according to changes in public opinion and promoted corresponding reforms.Fourth,the redistribution of government power brought about by Brexit and the differences in this issue among the four main components of the United Kingdom and within England have exacerbated the complexity of devolution in the UK and put the unity of Britain at riskThe tortuous development of English de'volution reflects the complex logic of the ancient British regional governance model between tradition and change,democratic governance ideas and economic and social realities in the context of globalization and regional integration.Its future still depends on the result of the complex evolution of the political and cultural tradition of Britain and the political and economic relationship inside and outside the countryThis study sorts out a wealth of historical materials,analyzes the experiences and lessons of devolution in England,and explores the potential challenges that devolution can bring to the unity of Britain.How does a country with a long tradition modernize its governance systemr?How to advance the reforms such as regional governance,national issues.central-local relations,and public-private partnerships?What is its motivation and limits?This research provides some empirical facts for us to think about the above issues.This research is based on the consecutive governments of the UK since 1997,and focuses on the study of contemporary political history,combining historical research with an interdisciplinary perspective of constitution and political research.This study pays attention to the use of first-hand materials such as the British government,Hansard,think tank reports,important speeches,and academic and media discussions.In addition to the traditional constitutional issues such as the West Lothian question and the reform of the local government in England,this study pays full attention to the reform of the local government in England,such as encouraging the private sector to provide public services.At the same time,this study takes party politics as one of the basic factors to study the trend of English devolution,expands and enriches the connotation of the research on British localism,and explores its theoretical development.In addition,tracking the latest developments and significant impacts of Brexit also provides a new perspective on the future of the ongoing English devolution.