Constitutional reform since 2010 | Edexcel A-Level Politics
Updated: 5 days ago
For Specification 9PL0
Edexcel A-Level Politics | Free Revision Notes
Estimated study time:Â 60 minutes
Constitutional reform since 2010 A-Level Politics revision examines how changes to the UK's constitutional arrangements continued after the Labour reform programme of 1997–2010. Edexcel specifically requires the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, further devolution to Wales, and major reforms since 2015, including further Scottish devolution in the context of the Scottish independence referendum. These developments show that constitutional reform remained an ongoing process, building on earlier constitutional reform while raising continuing questions about devolution, sovereignty and the coherence of the UK constitutional settlement.
Learning Objectives 🎯
By the end of this revision page, you should be able to:
Identify the constitutional reforms specified by Edexcel for the 2010–15 Coalition period.
Explain the significance of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 and further Welsh devolution within the limits of the provided source material.
Explain the relationship between the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and subsequent further Scottish devolution.
Examine major reforms since 2015, including further devolution and changes affecting England and elections.
Analyse how post-2010 reform has affected parliamentary sovereignty, democracy and the territorial constitution.
Evaluate whether constitutional change since 2010 has produced a more coherent constitutional settlement.
Revision Notes đź“š
What does Edexcel require you to know?
Section 1.2 of the specification divides constitutional reform after 1997 into different periods.
For this lesson, Edexcel requires:
under the Coalition, 2010–15:
Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011
further devolution to Wales
major reforms undertaken by governments since 2015
specifically, further devolution to Scotland in the context of the Scottish referendum
This means the topic is deliberately open to significant constitutional developments after 2015 rather than being restricted to a single fixed list.
The underlying constitutional concepts come from the nature of the Constitution, particularly:
parliamentary sovereignty
the UK's unitary character
its unentrenched nature
devolution
Overview of constitutional reform since 2010
Period/reform | Change supported by the provided sources | Constitutional significance |
Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 | Specifically identified by Edexcel as a Coalition constitutional reform. | Altered an important part of the constitutional arrangements surrounding Parliament and government. |
Further Welsh devolution | The Coalition period included further devolution to Wales, and later Edexcel material confirms that Welsh powers increased. | Continued decentralisation and made the territorial constitution increasingly asymmetric. |
2014 Scottish independence referendum | Scotland voted to remain within the UK. | Demonstrated the constitutional importance of popular consent and created the context for further Scottish devolution. |
Further Scottish devolution | Scotland subsequently gained additional powers through Scotland Acts. | Increased the political autonomy of Scotland while Parliament remained legally sovereign. |
English Votes for English Laws | Introduced as a response to constitutional concerns about England, then later rescinded. | Demonstrated attempts to deal with asymmetrical devolution and the West Lothian Question. |
Metro Mayors | Since 2015, Metro Mayors have been created with executive, spending and strategic powers. | Extended devolution within England without establishing an English Parliament. |
Elections Act 2022 | Introduced voter identification requirements. | Represents further change to the operation of UK elections and debates about democratic legitimacy. |
Together, these reforms show that constitutional change after 2010 continued to be incremental and piecemeal, rather than part of one codified constitutional redesign.
The 2010–15 Coalition and constitutional reform
The Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition came to power in 2010.
The Edexcel specification identifies two particular constitutional developments that students must know from this period:
Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011
further devolution to Wales
This makes the Coalition period a continuation of the reform process begun under Labour, although the reforms focused on different elements of the political system.
Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011
The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011Â is specifically named in Edexcel section 1.2 as one of the Coalition government's constitutional reforms.
It is therefore an example of statute law being used to change constitutional arrangements.
This provides a direct link with constitutional sources.
Constitutional significance
For examination purposes, the Act demonstrates several broader features of the UK Constitution.
First, important constitutional arrangements can be altered through an ordinary Act of Parliament. This reflects the UK's unentrenched constitution.
Second, it illustrates the continuing use of legislation to regulate relationships between Parliament and the Executive.
Third, because it was itself an Act of Parliament, it remained subject to the principle of parliamentary sovereignty. Parliament is not permanently bound by legislation passed by an earlier Parliament.
That makes the Act useful evidence when explaining the relationship between:
constitutional reform → statute law → unentrenched constitution → parliamentary sovereignty
For this revision page, focus on its status as a significant Coalition constitutional reform and its relationship with Parliament, government and the unentrenched nature of the Constitution.
Further devolution to Wales
The second Coalition reform explicitly identified by Edexcel is further devolution to Wales.
Later Edexcel mark-scheme material confirms that Wales gained additional devolved powers after the initial Blair-era devolution settlement.
This continued the pattern established after 1997:
initial devolution → pressure for further powers → further decentralisation
The process is central to understanding territorial government across the UK.
Constitutional significance of further Welsh devolution
Further Welsh devolution matters because it demonstrates that devolution has been a process rather than a single event.
The powers given to devolved institutions did not necessarily remain fixed after their original creation.
This has several constitutional consequences:
political power has continued to move away from Westminster
devolved institutions have become increasingly established
the distribution of power across the UK has become more complex
devolution remains asymmetric because different parts of the UK possess different arrangements and powers
The 2021 mark scheme notes that the Welsh body initially received fewer powers than the Scottish Parliament and that, although its powers subsequently increased, differences between the settlements remained.
This is particularly useful evaluation.
Further devolution strengthened Welsh self-government, but it also continued the unequal or asymmetric character of UK devolution.
Did greater Welsh devolution end parliamentary sovereignty?
No.
Devolution must be distinguished from sovereignty.
Edexcel treats Parliament as legally sovereign even where devolved institutions possess substantial political power. Later mark-scheme material states that Westminster Parliament remains able in law to legislate concerning devolved arrangements.
This creates one of the most important distinctions in the whole constitution topic:
political power has become decentralised
but
legal sovereignty remains with Parliament
The Scottish independence referendum and further devolution
The 2014 Scottish independence referendum
Edexcel specifically requires further Scottish devolution to be studied in the context of the Scottish referendum.
The Scottish independence referendum therefore matters not simply as an example of direct democracy, but as part of constitutional development.
Edexcel's 2019 mark scheme identifies the 2014 referendum as demonstrating that Scotland chose to remain within the United Kingdom.
The referendum therefore addressed a much bigger question than the distribution of individual policy powers.
It concerned whether Scotland should continue to form part of the UK at all.
This creates a strong synoptic connection with referendum politics.
Referendums and constitutional legitimacy
Referendums can give constitutional changes substantial political legitimacy because voters directly express a view.
Edexcel mark-scheme material notes that constitutional changes supported through referendums can possess considerable democratic legitimacy.
However, another important distinction must be made.
Edexcel's 2024 sovereignty mark scheme states that referendums are created through Acts of Parliament and their results do not themselves remove Parliament's legal sovereignty.
So the Scottish referendum demonstrates the difference between:
popular or political sovereignty
legal parliamentary sovereignty
Politically, ignoring a major referendum outcome could be extremely difficult.
Legally, Parliament remains sovereign.
Further Scottish devolution
The referendum did not bring an end to constitutional development in Scotland.
Edexcel's 2021 mark scheme states that Scotland gained additional powers through Scotland Acts.
This further transfer of powers is exactly the development that the specification requires students to study following the Scottish referendum.
A useful constitutional sequence is:
devolution established
↓
Scottish political autonomy develops
↓
2014 independence referendum
↓
Scotland remains within the UK
↓
further powers are devolved
This shows that rejecting independence did not mean rejecting greater Scottish self-government.
Constitutional significance of further Scottish devolution
Further Scottish devolution had several important consequences.
It increased decentralisation
More political decision-making moved away from Westminster.
It strengthened the Scottish Parliament's constitutional position
The Scottish Parliament became an increasingly important institution with responsibility for significant areas of policy.
Edexcel material describes both the Scottish and Welsh devolved bodies as established and popular institutions capable of creating different laws to suit their electorates.
It increased political constraints on Westminster
Although Parliament remains legally sovereign, the political legitimacy of devolved institutions makes the use of that sovereignty more complicated in practice.
This is why later Edexcel material treats devolution as an important political limit on parliamentary sovereignty.
It did not end demands for independence
This is a major limitation.
The 2021 mark scheme states that Scottish nationalism continued to press for another independence referendum and that tensions were intensified by Brexit.
Further devolution can therefore be interpreted in two opposite ways:
Argument 1:Â it strengthens the Union by satisfying demands for self-government.
Argument 2:Â it creates institutions and political identities from which demands for further autonomy or independence can continue.
That tension is fundamental to evaluating devolution.
Devolution and the unity of the UK
Edexcel examination materials repeatedly present two competing interpretations.
View 1: devolution strengthens the Union
Devolution can:
recognise distinct national identities
bring political decisions closer to voters
satisfy some demands for self-government
allow different policies to reflect different local priorities
increase democratic legitimacy
The 2019 mark scheme argues that policy divergence can strengthen local democracy and that devolution may have helped preserve the Union by responding to demands for self-government.
View 2: devolution destabilises the Union
Devolution can also:
produce different powers across different nations
generate disagreement over territorial fairness
encourage continuing demands for additional powers
leave England without equivalent national arrangements
fail to end nationalist demands for independence
The 2019 mark scheme describes devolution as asymmetric, uneven and unbalanced, identifying the possibility of constitutional instability.
This is why further Scottish and Welsh devolution should not simply be described as "more democracy".
It creates genuine constitutional benefits, but it also raises difficult questions about the overall structure of the UK.
Constitutional reform in England since 2015
The Edexcel specification asks students to know major reforms undertaken since 2015, so constitutional development is not limited to Scotland and Wales.
The provided Edexcel materials identify two particularly useful developments concerning England:
English Votes for English Laws
the development of Metro Mayors
English Votes for English Laws
English Votes for English Laws (EVEL)Â developed partly in response to the uneven character of devolution.
Edexcel's 2019 mark scheme connects EVEL with political dissatisfaction created when different parts of a unitary state receive different constitutional arrangements.
The underlying problem is commonly framed through the West Lothian Question, which concerns representation and voting after devolution.
The 2019 examination source itself identified EVEL as one of the different constitutional arrangements produced by the UK's uneven devolution settlement.
Constitutional significance of EVEL
EVEL illustrates an attempt to address the constitutional position of England without establishing a separate English Parliament.
This is significant because England is much larger than the other nations of the UK and does not have an equivalent national devolved legislature.
Rather than reproducing Scottish-style devolution for England, reform attempted to respond within Westminster.
EVEL was later rescinded
The 2022 examiner report refers specifically to the rescinding of EVEL in 2021.
This is constitutionally important for two reasons.
First, the underlying question of how England should fit into a devolved UK remained unresolved.
Second, it demonstrates the unentrenched nature of the UK Constitution.
A constitutional arrangement can be introduced and subsequently removed without a special constitutional amendment procedure.
This reinforces the link to the characteristics of the Constitution.
Metro Mayors and English devolution
A second important development has been the expansion of Metro Mayors.
Edexcel's 2022 mark scheme states that since 2015 Metro Mayors have been created with:
executive powers
spending powers
strategic powers
The same material describes Metro Mayors as providing a clear regional political voice and a form of English devolution.
Constitutional significance
Metro Mayors represent a different model of devolution from that used in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Instead of creating a single parliament for England, powers can be dispersed to particular English areas.
This can:
bring some decisions closer to local or regional populations
create identifiable regional political leadership
decentralise some powers away from Westminster
respond to demands for greater English devolution without creating an English Parliament
The 2025 Edexcel materials continue to treat the growing role of Metro Mayors as an important contemporary feature of English devolution.
This debate is developed further when considering future English devolution.
Limits of the Metro Mayor model
Edexcel assessment material also identifies limitations.
The 2021 mark scheme describes English devolution as piecemeal and limited compared with Scotland and Wales.
The 2022 examination source notes that much of England did not have equivalent devolution and that mayoral arrangements lacked the same level of popular support underpinning devolution elsewhere.
So Metro Mayors can be interpreted as:
a practical expansion of English devolution
but also
evidence that the UK's territorial settlement remains inconsistent and asymmetric.
The Elections Act 2022
The 2024 Edexcel examination treated the Elections Act 2022Â as part of the continuing story of constitutional and electoral reform.
The source states that the Act introduced voter identification requirements.
This reform was presented through two competing arguments.
Argument supporting the reform
Supporters argue that voter identification can:
tackle electoral fraud
increase trust in elections
Argument opposing the reform
Critics argue that:
it addresses a problem they consider insufficiently significant
it could reduce turnout
The 2024 mark scheme notes the concern that voter identification could particularly reduce voting amongst already marginalised groups.
Constitutional significance
This is important because constitutional reform is not only about creating new institutions.
Rules governing democratic participation and elections can also form part of constitutional change.
It provides a direct synoptic connection with electoral participation.
The debate also shows that judging constitutional reform requires more than asking whether something has changed.
You must consider whether the change:
increases legitimacy
strengthens democratic participation
creates clearer accountability
or produces new constitutional difficulties
Comparing constitutional reform before and after 2010
The reforms since 2010 differ in emphasis from those introduced under Labour between 1997 and 2010.
1997–2010 | Since 2010 |
Initial major programme of House of Lords reform, devolution, Human Rights Act and Supreme Court. | Continued alteration and extension of constitutional arrangements already established. |
Established major new devolved institutions. | Extended devolved power and addressed consequences of existing devolution. |
Introduced major institutional changes. | Frequently involved adapting, extending or reconsidering earlier settlements. |
Created a new constitutional landscape. | Demonstrated that the new landscape remained unsettled and continued to evolve. |
This makes constitutional reform since 2010Â best understood as a continuation of the process studied in the previous lesson.
Has constitutional reform since 2010 been significant?
There are strong arguments on both sides.
Argument: reform since 2010 has been constitutionally significant
Devolution has continued to deepen
Scotland and Wales have gained additional powers rather than remaining at the level of their original settlements.
This represents continuing decentralisation of political power.
The Scottish referendum raised fundamental constitutional questions
The 2014 vote was directly concerned with whether Scotland should remain within the UK.
Even though Scotland remained within the Union, further devolution followed.
This demonstrates that constitutional reform can respond to major expressions of popular sovereignty.
England has experienced constitutional innovation
EVEL and Metro Mayors represented attempts to respond to the constitutional consequences of asymmetric devolution.
Electoral rules have continued to change
The Elections Act 2022 demonstrates that reform has also affected the mechanisms through which citizens participate in representative democracy.
Argument: reform since 2010 has not transformed the constitutional foundations
Parliamentary sovereignty remains
Despite increasingly powerful devolved institutions, Edexcel mark schemes continue to identify Parliament as legally sovereign.
The UK remains constitutionally asymmetric
Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England continue to possess different arrangements.
The 2019 mark scheme explicitly describes devolution as uneven and unbalanced.
England's constitutional position remains unsettled
EVEL was introduced and later rescinded, while Metro Mayors provide devolution only to particular areas.
The 2025 Edexcel materials continue to present the question of an English Parliament as a live constitutional debate.
Nationalist demands have continued
Further Scottish devolution did not remove support for independence or demands for another referendum.
Has reform produced a coherent constitutional settlement?
This is one of the strongest evaluation questions you can ask.
There is evidence of substantial constitutional adaptation:
Welsh powers increased
Scotland gained further powers
England received new forms of devolution
electoral rules changed
governments responded to constitutional pressures as they arose
This flexibility fits the UK's uncodified and unentrenched constitution.
However, there is also evidence of continued fragmentation:
powers differ between nations
English devolution differs markedly from Scottish and Welsh devolution
some reforms such as EVEL have been reversed
nationalist demands remain
arguments about the future structure of the Union continue
Edexcel's 2025 mark scheme describes recent constitutional development more generally as piecemeal codification of disparate parts of the political and constitutional system, which can produce a disjointed settlement.
This provides an excellent evaluative idea:
The ability to reform individual problems demonstrates constitutional flexibility, but repeated piecemeal reform may itself be evidence that the UK lacks a coherent long-term constitutional settlement.
Constitutional reform and parliamentary sovereignty
One of the most important conclusions from this topic is that political decentralisation is not identical to legal decentralisation of sovereignty.
Scotland
Scotland has gained significant additional political power.
Wales
Welsh devolution has been extended.
England
Metro Mayors exercise regional executive, spending and strategic powers.
Yet Edexcel continues to treat Westminster Parliament as legally sovereign.
This creates an important tension:
The Constitution remains legally based on parliamentary sovereignty, but exercising that sovereignty without considering devolved political institutions has become increasingly difficult in practice.
That distinction between legal authority and political constraint is essential for high-level constitutional analysis.
Overall assessment of constitutional reform since 2010
The reforms since 2010 are best understood as important but evolutionary rather than revolutionary.
They have:
deepened devolution
responded to the Scottish independence question
increased English regional devolution
changed aspects of elections
continued the constitutional reform process begun after 1997
However, they have not replaced the basic constitutional framework.
The UK remains:
uncodified
unentrenched
formally based on parliamentary sovereignty
territorially asymmetric
A strong overall judgement is therefore:
Constitutional reform since 2010 has significantly changed where political power is exercised, particularly through further devolution, but it has not resolved the central constitutional tensions created by devolution. Instead, successive reforms have demonstrated both the flexibility of the UK Constitution and the continuing absence of a single coherent territorial settlement.
This leads naturally into a detailed study of how devolved government now operates and then whether further reform is necessary.
Hints from the Examiner Reports đź’ˇ
Examiner hint:Â Do not simply describe what has happened since 2010. The 2021 examiner report specifically warned against answers that focused on AO1 description at the expense of analysis and evaluation.
After every reform, ask:
What difference did this actually make to political power, democracy or the constitutional settlement?
Examiner hint:Â Understand devolution across the whole UK. The 2021 report found that stronger candidates accurately understood the effects of devolution in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, while weaker answers often knew Scotland and Wales better than English devolution such as the Greater London Authority and Metro Mayors.
Do not make Scottish devolution your entire answer simply because it is the most familiar example.
Examiner hint:Â Use synoptic connections where the question requires them. Examiners praised students who connected devolution with referendums, democracy and participation, and emerging or minor political parties.
The 2014 Scottish referendum gives you an especially useful connection with direct democracy.
Examiner hint:Â Pair competing arguments rather than writing separate "for" and "against" halves. The 2024 report found that stronger constitutional answers created comparative analysis by pairing arguments directly before reaching supported judgements.
For example:
further Scottish devolution accommodates national identity
versus
further devolution has not ended demands for independence
creates immediate analysis.
Examiner hint:Â Do not reduce a broad constitutional reform question to devolution alone. The 2024 examiner report specifically identified this as a limitation in answers about constitutional reform since 1997.
If the question is broad, use a suitable range of constitutional reforms.
Examiner hint:Â Establish a clear line of argument from the introduction and make sure interim judgements logically build towards the conclusion. The 2025 report warns that judgements can become ineffective when they are merely stated or come as a surprise to the reader.
Common Mistakes ⚠️
Mistake: Treating devolution as a single event in 1997
Why this is incorrect: Edexcel explicitly requires further devolution under the Coalition and further Scottish devolution after the 2014 referendum.
How to improve: Think of devolution as an ongoing process:
initial transfer of power → demands for further powers → further devolution
Mistake: Saying the 2014 referendum ended Scottish constitutional debate
Why this is incorrect: Although Scotland voted to remain within the UK, Edexcel material notes that demands for another independence referendum continued and were intensified by later political developments.
How to improve:
Distinguish between:
the outcome of the 2014 referendum
subsequent further devolution
continuing debate over independence
Mistake: Saying further devolution ended parliamentary sovereignty
Why this is incorrect: Edexcel mark schemes continue to identify Parliament as legally sovereign even after extensive devolution.
How to improve: Use the phrase:
"Devolution creates substantial political constraints on Westminster without necessarily transferring ultimate legal sovereignty."
Mistake: Ignoring England
Why this is incorrect: Constitutional reform since 2010 includes attempts to respond to England's position within an increasingly devolved UK.
Edexcel materials specifically discuss EVEL and Metro Mayors.
How to improve: Include England when judging whether devolution has created a fair and coherent territorial constitution.
Mistake: Treating Metro Mayors as equivalent to the Scottish Parliament
Why this is incorrect: Edexcel describes English devolution as more limited and piecemeal than devolution in Scotland and Wales.
How to improve: Compare the scale and form of devolution rather than simply saying that all parts of the UK are devolved.
Mistake: Assuming every reform is permanent
Why this is incorrect: The rescinding of EVEL illustrates the unentrenched nature of UK constitutional arrangements.
How to improve: Link constitutional reform back to parliamentary sovereignty and the absence of special constitutional amendment procedures.
Exam-Style Questions ✍️
Question 1
Identify the two constitutional reforms under the 2010–15 Coalition specifically named in the Edexcel specification. (2 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Award one mark for each:
Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011
further devolution to Wales
Maximum: 2 marks.
Question 2
Explain one reason why further devolution to Wales after 2010 was constitutionally significant. (4 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Possible content:
further Welsh devolution increased the political powers exercised away from Westminster
it continued the process of decentralisation begun under Labour
it strengthened the constitutional position of Welsh devolved government
it contributed to increasingly asymmetric devolution because different parts of the UK possess different powers
Full marks require an explanation of constitutional significance, not simply a statement that Wales received more powers.
Question 3
Explain the relationship between the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and further Scottish devolution. (6 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Possible developed chain:
the 2014 referendum directly addressed whether Scotland should remain within the UK
Scotland voted to remain within the Union
the rejection of independence did not end pressure for greater Scottish self-government
Scotland subsequently gained additional devolved powers through Scotland Acts
the result therefore helped shape a settlement involving continued Union combined with greater devolution
A strong answer should connect referendum → political legitimacy → further devolution.
Question 4
Explain two ways in which constitutional reform since 2015 has affected England. (8 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Possible developments include:
EVEL
represented an attempt to respond to the implications of asymmetric devolution for England
its later rescinding demonstrates both constitutional flexibility and the continued difficulty of resolving England's position
Metro Mayors
since 2015, Metro Mayors have gained executive, spending and strategic powers
they provide a regional model of English devolution
Higher marks require analysis of why the changes are constitutionally important.
Question 5
Analyse why further devolution can be seen as both a limitation on Westminster's political power and consistent with parliamentary sovereignty. (8 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
For the first part:
Scotland and Wales possess increased political powers
devolved institutions have their own democratic legitimacy
this can make it politically difficult for Westminster simply to disregard devolved preferences
However:
Parliament remains legally sovereign
devolution transfers political power rather than necessarily transferring ultimate sovereignty
Parliament therefore retains ultimate law-making authority in the constitutional system
A high-level response should clearly distinguish legal sovereignty from political power.
Question 6
Study the following information.
Development | Constitutional issue |
Further Scottish and Welsh devolution | Increasing decentralisation of political power |
EVEL | Attempt to respond to England's position following devolution |
Rescinding of EVEL | Demonstrates that constitutional arrangements can be reversed |
Metro Mayors | Regional rather than national English devolution |
Elections Act 2022 | Changes to electoral participation and legitimacy |
Using the information, analyse why constitutional reform since 2010 can be described as piecemeal rather than comprehensive. (10 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
A strong answer could explain:
further devolution has occurred at different rates across the UK
Scotland and Wales have received additional powers while England has developed a different regional model
EVEL attempted to address one constitutional problem but was later reversed
Metro Mayors provide devolution to particular English areas rather than a single English settlement
electoral changes such as voter identification address separate constitutional issues rather than forming one integrated programme
The overall analytical point is:
Reforms have generally responded to individual political and constitutional pressures as they arise rather than creating one comprehensive redesign of the UK Constitution.
Question 7
Read the following source.
Constitutional reform since 2010 has strengthened UK democracy. Further devolution has given Scotland and Wales greater control over political decisions, while Metro Mayors have provided a new form of decentralised government for England. The Scottish independence referendum allowed voters to decide a fundamental constitutional question directly, and subsequent reforms have shown that the Constitution can respond flexibly to changing political demands.However, constitutional reform has created an increasingly uneven settlement. Scotland, Wales and England have different powers and institutions, demands for Scottish independence have continued, and reforms designed to deal with England's constitutional position have not produced a permanent solution. Rather than producing a coherent constitution, repeated reforms may simply have created new problems requiring further reform.
Using the source, evaluate the view that constitutional reform since 2010 has strengthened the UK Constitution. (30 marks)
In your response you must:
compare and contrast different opinions in the source
examine and debate these views in a balanced way
analyse and evaluate the political information presented in the source
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Strong responses should directly pair the arguments in the source.
Pair 1: Devolution
For the view:
greater Scottish and Welsh self-government decentralises political power
it can increase democratic legitimacy and allow different territorial preferences to be represented
Against:
devolution remains asymmetric
different nations possess different constitutional arrangements
constitutional inequalities may therefore create new tensions
Pair 2: Scotland and the Union
For:
the independence referendum allowed the Scottish electorate to decide a fundamental question directly
Scotland remained within the UK
further devolution offered a way to accommodate Scottish autonomy within the Union
Against:
further devolution has not ended nationalist demands
continuing demands for another referendum suggest that the territorial settlement remains unresolved
Pair 3: England
For:
Metro Mayors provide greater regional decentralisation
Against:
English devolution remains piecemeal
EVEL did not provide a lasting solution
there is no equivalent English national parliament
Overall judgement
A strong conclusion should establish what "strengthened"Â means.
If strengthening means increasing local democracy and making the Constitution more responsive, there is a strong case that reform has succeeded.
If strengthening requires a stable and coherent settlement accepted across the whole UK, the evidence is much less convincing.
Question 8
Evaluate the view that further devolution has been the most significant constitutional development since 2010. (30 marks)
In your answer, consider further devolution alongside other relevant constitutional reforms since 2010.
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Arguments supporting further devolution as the most significant development include:
it has altered where substantial political power is exercised
Scotland and Wales have gained additional powers
devolved bodies possess their own democratic legitimacy
the 2014 Scottish referendum raised the possibility of the breakup of the UK itself
devolution has created significant political constraints on Westminster
it has contributed to continuing debate about the unity and structure of the UK
Alternative reforms could include:
Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011
specifically identified by Edexcel as an important Coalition constitutional reform
demonstrates the use of statute law to alter constitutional arrangements
English constitutional reform
EVEL attempted to address the implications of asymmetric devolution
Metro Mayors have expanded regional devolution since 2015
Electoral reform
the Elections Act 2022 altered rules affecting electoral participation and generated competing arguments about electoral trust and turnout
A strong judgement might conclude that further devolution has been the most significant development because it affects the territorial distribution of political power and potentially the survival of the Union itself. However, its importance also demonstrates why constitutional reform since 2010 cannot be understood in isolation from the broader unresolved debate over the future of devolution and constitutional reform.
Answers and mark scheme
Question 1
Award one mark for each:
Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011
further devolution to Wales
Maximum: 2 marks.
Question 2
Possible content:
further Welsh devolution increased the political powers exercised away from Westminster
it continued the process of decentralisation begun under Labour
it strengthened the constitutional position of Welsh devolved government
it contributed to increasingly asymmetric devolution because different parts of the UK possess different powers
Full marks require an explanation of constitutional significance, not simply a statement that Wales received more powers.
Question 3
Possible developed chain:
the 2014 referendum directly addressed whether Scotland should remain within the UK
Scotland voted to remain within the Union
the rejection of independence did not end pressure for greater Scottish self-government
Scotland subsequently gained additional devolved powers through Scotland Acts
the result therefore helped shape a settlement involving continued Union combined with greater devolution
A strong answer should connect referendum → political legitimacy → further devolution.
Question 4
Possible developments include:
EVEL
represented an attempt to respond to the implications of asymmetric devolution for England
its later rescinding demonstrates both constitutional flexibility and the continued difficulty of resolving England's position
Metro Mayors
since 2015, Metro Mayors have gained executive, spending and strategic powers
they provide a regional model of English devolution
Higher marks require analysis of why the changes are constitutionally important.
Question 5
For the first part:
Scotland and Wales possess increased political powers
devolved institutions have their own democratic legitimacy
this can make it politically difficult for Westminster simply to disregard devolved preferences
However:
Parliament remains legally sovereign
devolution transfers political power rather than necessarily transferring ultimate sovereignty
Parliament therefore retains ultimate law-making authority in the constitutional system
A high-level response should clearly distinguish legal sovereignty from political power.
Question 6
A strong answer could explain:
further devolution has occurred at different rates across the UK
Scotland and Wales have received additional powers while England has developed a different regional model
EVEL attempted to address one constitutional problem but was later reversed
Metro Mayors provide devolution to particular English areas rather than a single English settlement
electoral changes such as voter identification address separate constitutional issues rather than forming one integrated programme
The overall analytical point is:
Reforms have generally responded to individual political and constitutional pressures as they arise rather than creating one comprehensive redesign of the UK Constitution.
Question 7
Strong responses should directly pair the arguments in the source.
Pair 1: Devolution
For the view:
greater Scottish and Welsh self-government decentralises political power
it can increase democratic legitimacy and allow different territorial preferences to be represented
Against:
devolution remains asymmetric
different nations possess different constitutional arrangements
constitutional inequalities may therefore create new tensions
Pair 2: Scotland and the Union
For:
the independence referendum allowed the Scottish electorate to decide a fundamental question directly
Scotland remained within the UK
further devolution offered a way to accommodate Scottish autonomy within the Union
Against:
further devolution has not ended nationalist demands
continuing demands for another referendum suggest that the territorial settlement remains unresolved
Pair 3: England
For:
Metro Mayors provide greater regional decentralisation
Against:
English devolution remains piecemeal
EVEL did not provide a lasting solution
there is no equivalent English national parliament
Overall judgement
A strong conclusion should establish what "strengthened"Â means.
If strengthening means increasing local democracy and making the Constitution more responsive, there is a strong case that reform has succeeded.
If strengthening requires a stable and coherent settlement accepted across the whole UK, the evidence is much less convincing.
Question 8
Arguments supporting further devolution as the most significant development include:
it has altered where substantial political power is exercised
Scotland and Wales have gained additional powers
devolved bodies possess their own democratic legitimacy
the 2014 Scottish referendum raised the possibility of the breakup of the UK itself
devolution has created significant political constraints on Westminster
it has contributed to continuing debate about the unity and structure of the UK
Alternative reforms could include:
Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011
specifically identified by Edexcel as an important Coalition constitutional reform
demonstrates the use of statute law to alter constitutional arrangements
English constitutional reform
EVEL attempted to address the implications of asymmetric devolution
Metro Mayors have expanded regional devolution since 2015
Electoral reform
the Elections Act 2022 altered rules affecting electoral participation and generated competing arguments about electoral trust and turnout
A strong judgement might conclude that further devolution has been the most significant development because it affects the territorial distribution of political power and potentially the survival of the Union itself. However, its importance also demonstrates why constitutional reform since 2010 cannot be understood in isolation from the broader unresolved debate over the future of devolution and constitutional reform.
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