Devolution And The Rise Of Regionalist Parties In The UK

The rise of regional nationalism and regionalist parties in Western Europe has captured academic attention.When the traditional class base is collapsing in many countries,political scientists have acknowledged that for many areas,territory has replaced class as the major cleavage in party politics.As a result,there emerge the regionalist parties,a new party family grouped together based on their common commitment to sub-state territorial empowerment.Today in many European countries such as Spain,Germany,and the United Kingdom,a number of regionalist parties have established themselves as long-standing political players.Many of such parties have become electable following decentralization reforms in countries like the UK and Spain.In the past,regionalist parties were regarded as extremists or single-issue groups.Now a large proportion of such parties have taken office at sub-state government and some have even entered central government as mainstream political players.Being part of the state system establishes a renewed profile of regionalist parties,enabling them to act as official defender of a territorial group's interests.Meanwhile,to broaden the voter-base,many of such parties have become pragmatic,actively extending their involvement in nationwide issues such as education,health and economy.The notable successes of regionalist parties threaten the electoral status of major parties.As a result,the maj or parties are forced to grant the demands of nationalists,which further boosts the growth of regional nationalism and regionalist parties.This thesis focuses on the evolution of regionalist parties in the UK since 1997,the year when devolution was introduced to appease nationalism and regionalist parties in Scotland,Wales and Northern Ireland.Through case study on SNP,Plaid Cymru and Sinn Fein,this thesis aims to present the characteristics of regionalist parties in Scotland,Wales and Northern Ireland respectively,and to discuss the commonality and differences in their rising to power.The rise of regionalist parties in these peripheries are attributable to the internal and international changes faced by the UK.For internal factors,the declining strength of the UK can hardly maintain a voluntary union.The United Kingdom is a "union state" consisting of four distinctive parts.People living in Scotland,Wales and Northern Ireland are endowed with a dual identity.The regional identity and British identity would become rival identities when the regions cannot benefit from the Union.This is what happened in Britain which has undergone the decline of economy and the collapse of the British Empire following the Second World War.Economic and social changes have produced a sizeable number of displaced people who identify themselves with a certain nation and the local parties,rather with the class-based major parties.For international factors,the UK is influenced by globalization and European integration.Globalization updates the mind of nationalists,for whom the size of a nation is less relevant than the benefits from free trade.Meanwhile,acceleration of globalization attaches importance to nationalism in defending local resources.The European Union has weakened the functional purpose of nation-state.Many of the EU's region schemes lower the cost of getting independence and make regionalist demands justifiable beyond the national border.To the dismay of central government,devolution turns out to reverse their integrative efforts.It has significantly altered the relations between the state and regions,with the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty being undermined.The process is largely arbitrary and incoherent,which often ends with the failure of the centre in debates.Devolution provides electoral opportunities for regionalist parties,enabling such parties to transform from marginal parties to become governing parties.By 2008,regionalist parties were in power in all of the devolved bodies,SNP as governing party in Scotland,Plaid Cymru and Sinn Fein as coalition partners in Wales and Northern Ireland respectively.The prospect of realizing self-autonomy through devolution has convinced regionalist parties to play a long game with pragmatic and gradualist approach rather through radical means.The SNP is the most notable regionalist party in advancing Scottish interests.Owing to the civic nature of Scottish nationalism and the long-time existence of a separate administration in Scotland,the SNP readily evolved to become part of the devolution establishment.The party is committed to getting more powers from Westminster,the areas concerned including energy,welfare,transport,defence and immigration.In particular,the SNP has been making continual calls for fiscal autonomy as it is the key to overcome Westminster control.With regards to this area,the party has made advancement in taxation and in raising the amount of allocated money from central government.Furthermore,the SNP has managed to be granted holding an independence referendum in 2014,through which the independence project was widely publicized in media and Scotland was promised with further devolution.It suggests that since its entry into the Scottish Parliament,the SNP had been leading the constitutional debates and the future of Scotland will carry on being defined by its involvement.Moreover,the success of the SNP might lead to chain effects across other peripheries in the UK.Wales is more closely integrated with England and expressions of Welsh nationalism are more to do with language and culture than political demands.Plaid Cymru used to be more interested in protecting Welsh heritage instead of party politics.The introduction of devolution presented the party with unprecedented political opportunities,inspiring Plaid Cymru to incorporate pragmatic programmes.Plaid Cymru became part of the coalition government from 2007 to 2011,during which the party demonstrated its capability to influence policy-making.Many of the party's manifesto pledges were included in the coalition agreement,including to hold a referendum on devolving legislative powers for the National Assembly of Wales and the Welsh Language Measure.Similar to the SNP,Plaid Cymru is keen to improve the financial status of Wales in Barnett formula and to have more financial powers devolved to NAW.For further devolution in Wales,the Silk Commission is established to recommend financial and legislative powers in Wales.Compared to the SNP,Plaid Cymru is still a junior political player unable to challenge the dominance of major parties.However,Plaid Cymru has been extending its partnership with the SNP and with other European regionalists to further its nationalist demands.The legacy of inter-communal strife marks off Northern Ireland from the generally peaceful nationalist politics in Scotland and Wales.Devolution in Northern Ireland is to ensure the balance of Nationalists and Unionists.Sinn Fein used to be associated with military and violence due to its connection with the IRA.The peace process ensured Sinn Fein the prospect of realizing a united Ireland through political means.The party replaced the "Armalite and ballot" strategy with a "ballot box alone" approach,demonstrating its peaceful commitment through separation from the IRA.and acceptance of the PSNI.The party has also incorporated pragmatic programmes for party contests in the Republic of Ireland.Today Sinn Fein has gradually evolved from being a minor player on both sides of the Irish border to a situation where it is both the leading nationalist party in the North and a considerable political force in the South.