Scottish devolution

Scottish Parliament

Devolution is the process in which the central British parliament grants administrative powers (excluding principally reserved matters) to the devolved Scottish Parliament.[1][2][3] Prior to the advent of devolution, some had argued for a Scottish Parliament within the United Kingdom – while others have since advocated for complete independence. The people of Scotland first got the opportunity to vote in a referendum on proposals for devolution in 1979 and, although a majority of those voting voted 'Yes', the referendum legislation also required 40% of the electorate to vote 'Yes' for the plans to be enacted and this was not achieved. A second referendum opportunity in 1997, this time on a strong proposal, resulted in an overwhelming 'Yes' victory, leading to the Scotland Act 1998 being passed and the Scottish Parliament being established in 1999.

Scottish voters were given the chance to vote 'Yes' on outright independence in a 2014 referendum. In an effort to persuade Scots to remain in the Union, the major UK parties vowed to devolve further powers to Scotland after the referendum. The 'No' vote prevailed (independence was rejected) and the campaign promise of devolution resulted in the formation of the Smith Commission and the eventual passage of the Scotland Act 2016.

  1. ^ "devolution | government and politics | Britannica". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  2. ^ "Devolution of powers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland". GOV.UK. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  3. ^ "Devolution: What is it and how does it work across the UK?". BBC News. 24 March 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2022.

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