SECTION 1—Democracy in Scotland and the United Kingdom STUDY THEME A: Democracy IN SCOTLAND 1_Introduction

CONNECT Make a list of everything you think you know about the Scottish Parliament.

Learning Intentions Why the Scottish Parliament exists What it has achieved Criticisms

Devolution is the passing of powers or rights from one power to another; in this case the transfer of power from Westminster Parliament to the Scottish Parliament.

Why? Since 1707 Scotland has been part of the UK and until 1999 had no political independence, with all affairs governed from London. However, Scotland always kept an identity of its own, entirely separate from that of England and the other parts of the UK. That identity can be seen clearly at football and rugby matches involving the Scottish National teams. The legal system in Scotland is quite different from that of the rest of the UK, as is the education system. Scotland has its own church, its own media and its own culture. People in Scotland became increasingly disappointed with London government during the 1980s and early 1990s. Despite consistent support for Labour, Liberal Democrat and Scottish National Parties, Scotland had to accept a Conservative government elected mainly with votes from the south of England. A labour government was elected in 1997 with a manifesto promise of devolution for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and held a Scottish Referendum (a vote on an issue that usually relates to the constitution). In your own words answer the question… Why?

When the Scottish Parliament was set up there were a number of principles under which it was supposed to operate: Accessibility – the Parliament in Edinburgh gives easy access to Scots. Accountability – Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) are accountable to the electorate. Transparency – open government is to be seen to be operated. Equal Opportunities – more women and ethnic minorities to be encouraged. Distribution of Power – the Committee structure acts as a check on Ministers. Representation and participation – a wide range of people are involved. Consensus and Co-operation – coalition government helped here. Illustrate each principle

The Scottish Parliament only has the power to deal with issues that affect Scotland - it can deliver 'Scottish solutions to Scottish problems' by passing laws on Devolved Matters.

Devolved MattersReserved Matters Health Example - Free prescriptions introduced in 2011 Defence Example - Scottish troops deployed to Afghanistan Education Example - Abolition of student tuition fees and introduction of Curriculum for Excellence. Immigration Examples - limits to the number of new migrants; applies to Scotland Local Government Example - Introduction of the Single Transferable Vote System (STV) Social Security Example - introduction of tax credits; also available in Scotland Justice, the Courts and the Police Example - Abolishing short term prison sentences under 3 months. Foreign Affairs Example - Carbon Emission Reduction Target; also apply to Scotland.

Grey Areas Sometimes, the division between these powers can be blurred causing real confusion amongst Scottish people and conflict between the Parliaments.

Achievements of the Scottish Parliament Since its first meeting in 1999, the Scottish Parliament has had four sessions, spanning over a decade. The Labour-Liberal coalition banned smoking in public places, which has certainly helped improve Scotland’s health record. And introduced free personal care for the elderly, which allows them to stay at home with additional support provided by the government. Free Personal Care SNP abolished bridge tolls in Scotland outlawed offensive, sectarian and threatening behaviour at football matches, reintroduced free prescriptions, prevented the display of tobacco products, introduced minimum pricing for alcohol and introduced gay marriage. You Tube: Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill

Criticisms Spent more on healthcare per head of population than the rest of the UK but health is still worse. Unsustainable – no tuition fees, no prescription charges Made some expensive mistakes – Construction of the Holyrood building when the budge spiralled out of control and cost the taxpayer over £400 million. Scottish Parliament voted to accept the Edinburgh Tram project which has created 14km of track for an estimated £1 bn. Most critics suggest however, that the Parliament would have achieved more if it received more powers.

This house believes that the SP provides Scottish Solutions to Scottish Problems.

2009 Assess the impact of devolution on decision making for Scotland.

Introduction Devolution has had a significant impact on decision making for Scotland. It has allowed the Scottish Parliament to tailor decision making to deal with specific Scottish problems such as poor health and various problems associated with excessive alcohol consumption, including dangers on the roads. Arguably, not all decisions the Scottish Government has made have had a positive impact on Scotland. The Scottish Parliament has made some expensive mistakes such as the cost of the Parliament building and the cost of the tram project.

Middle section Scotland has specific problem with poor health in comparison to the rest of the UK and even the rest of Europe. So much so that scientists talk about the ‘mystery Scottish factor’ in relation to health because they don’t understand why Scotland’s life expectancy is so much lower than the rest of the UK. One of the ways in which the Scottish Parliament has attempted to alleviate this is they reintroduced free prescriptions. This returns to the original founding principles of the NHS ensuring equality of access to health treatment. This change has not been rolled out in the rest of the UK which shows the significant impact of devolution on decision making for Scotland.

West Lothian Question: Explain why the West Lothian Question Angers some English people. Do you think that they are justified? Describe the West Lothian Question. Use an example to explain the controversy. Why is it not just a simple fact of MPs abstaining on these issues.