British Devolution And European Policy-Making

In 1999 the Blair government introduced British devolution as part of a major program of constitutional reform. This development posed major questions concerning how relations with the EU would be affected. Previously, policymaking in the UK had been centralized on Whitehall and Westminster. However, devolution to Scotland and Wales introduced new actors; the Scottish Executive and Parliament, and the National Assembly for Wales. This study explores the institutional changes designed to accommodate these devolved authorities, while maintaining a central role for the UK government.

Political devolution in the UK created a sub-state tier of government in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland charged with a host of administrative and legislative duties previously the responsibility of UK government. This study, written by five British political scientists, explores the processes of institutional adaptation by focusing on UK European policy and the relationship between administrators in the central and peripheral governments. The ability of the UK to have a coherent European policy and to transpose European Community law is explored in the context of devolution. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Simon Bulmer is Professor of Government, and Martin Burch is in the Department of Government, both at the University of Manchester.

Caitríona Carteris at the School of Law, University of Edinburgh.

Patricia Hogwood is in the Department of Politics, University of Glasgow.