Devolution | Edexcel A-Level Politics

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Edexcel A-Level Politics | Free Revision Notes

Estimated study time: 65 minutes

exam questions by topic 👇

Devolution A-Level Politics revision examines how political power has been dispersed away from Westminster to different parts of the UK. Edexcel requires you to understand devolution in England, the Scottish Parliament and Government, the Welsh Assembly and Government, and the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive, as well as the overall impact of these arrangements on the UK. Devolution builds directly on recent constitutional change [Constitutional reform since 2010] and is essential for understanding debates about sovereignty, democracy, national identity and the future of the Union.

Learning Objectives 🎯

By the end of this revision page, you should be able to:

• Define devolution and distinguish devolved political power from legal sovereignty.

• Explain the role and powers of devolved bodies in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England.

• Compare the different forms and extent of devolution across the UK.

• Analyse how devolution has affected democracy, policy making and parliamentary sovereignty.

• Evaluate whether devolution has strengthened or weakened the unity of the UK.

• Assess whether the UK's asymmetric devolution settlement has created more problems than it has solved.

Revision Notes 📚

What is devolution?

Devolution is the dispersal of political power away from the centre while ultimate legal sovereignty remains with Westminster Parliament.

Edexcel places devolution within its study of the UK Constitution and specifically requires knowledge of the role and powers of:

• devolved government in England

• the Scottish Parliament and Government

• the Welsh Assembly and Government

• the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive

The most important starting distinction is between power and sovereignty.

Political decision-making can be transferred to devolved institutions without Westminster Parliament necessarily surrendering its ultimate legal authority.

This links directly to the concepts studied in the constitutional framework [The nature and sources of the UK Constitution].

Devolution and parliamentary sovereignty

Devolution has created significant political limits on Westminster.

Edexcel's 2024 mark scheme describes devolved institutions as exercising meaningful authority in areas within their competence and argues that the UK has developed features of a quasi-federal system in practice. However, it also maintains that Parliament remains legally sovereign because there is no absolute legal restriction on its ability to make or unmake law.

This creates a central constitutional distinction:

Legal position	Political position
Westminster Parliament remains legally sovereign.	Devolved institutions possess their own democratic legitimacy and exercise substantial political power.
Parliament remains the ultimate law-making authority in the constitutional system.	Reversing devolution would be politically extremely difficult.
Devolution does not automatically create a federal constitution.	The practical distribution of political power has become much less centralised.

This tension is one of the most useful analytical ideas in the entire Constitution topic.

Devolution across the UK

The UK does not have one uniform model of devolution.

Different areas possess:

• different institutions

• different powers

• different constitutional arrangements

• different relationships with Westminster

Edexcel examination material repeatedly describes this as asymmetric devolution. The 2019 mark scheme notes that devolved regions possess different powers, scope and formats.

A useful overview is:

Area	Main devolved arrangement identified in Edexcel material	Key feature
Scotland	Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government	Extensive national devolution and powers that have increased over time.
Wales	Welsh Assembly/Senedd and Welsh Government	National devolution, with powers increased after the original settlement.
Northern Ireland	Northern Ireland Assembly and power-sharing Executive	Devolution closely connected to power-sharing and peace.
England	Greater London Authority, Metro Mayors and other regional arrangements	More limited and piecemeal devolution, with no English national parliament.

This unevenness is not an accidental side issue. It is central to evaluating the impact of devolution.

Devolution in Scotland

The Scottish Parliament

Scotland possesses a national devolved legislature, the Scottish Parliament.

Edexcel mark-scheme material describes the Scottish Parliament as an established political institution capable of changing laws at national level to reflect the needs and preferences of the Scottish electorate.

Its legislative role therefore means that policy does not have to be identical across the whole UK.

Edexcel examination material gives examples of policy divergence in areas including:

• health

• education

• taxation

The important examination point is not to memorise an unsupported list of every devolved responsibility. It is to understand that the Scottish Parliament can make different political choices within areas where powers have been devolved.

The Scottish Government

Alongside the legislature is the Scottish Government.

Its role is the executive side of Scottish devolution. It exercises devolved political authority and implements policy within Scotland in areas falling within the devolved settlement.

Together:

• the Scottish Parliament provides the devolved legislative institution

• the Scottish Government provides devolved executive government

This means Scotland possesses a much more extensive form of self-government than English areas governed through Metro Mayors.

Scotland has gained further powers

Scottish devolution has not remained static.

The 2021 Edexcel mark scheme states that Scotland gained additional powers through Scotland Acts after the initial devolution settlement.

This shows that devolution is a process, not simply an event that took place once after 1997.

A useful sequence is:

initial devolution

↓

Scottish Parliament and Government established

↓

additional powers granted

↓

2014 independence referendum

↓

continuing debate over Scotland's constitutional future

This links directly to post-2010 constitutional development [Constitutional reform since 2010].

The impact of Scottish devolution

There are competing interpretations.

Argument: Scottish devolution has strengthened democracy

Edexcel material argues that devolution has increased political choice by allowing decisions to be taken closer to the people and has contributed to political legitimacy in Scotland.

The Scottish Parliament can make policies reflecting Scottish preferences rather than relying on one UK-wide policy.

This supports the argument that devolution can improve:

• representation

• political choice

• responsiveness

• territorial democracy

Argument: Scottish devolution has encouraged further constitutional demands

Devolution has not ended Scottish nationalism.

The 2021 mark scheme states that demands for another independence referendum continued and that tensions between Holyrood and Westminster were increased by Brexit.

This creates two competing interpretations:

Devolution saves the Union by satisfying demands for self-government.

versus

Devolution provides institutions and political legitimacy from which further demands for independence can develop.

The Scottish case is therefore central to assessing whether devolution strengthens or threatens the UK.

Devolution in Wales

The Welsh Assembly and Government

The specification refers to the Welsh Assembly and Government, while later Edexcel examination material uses Welsh Senedd.

As with Scotland, Wales possesses national devolved political institutions capable of making different political decisions for Wales.

The 2021 mark scheme describes the Welsh devolved body as established and capable of changing laws at national level to suit the needs of the Welsh electorate.

Welsh powers have increased

The original Welsh settlement involved fewer powers than the Scottish settlement.

Edexcel's 2021 mark scheme states that Wales subsequently gained additional powers, although its settlement remained different from Scotland's.

This is important for two reasons.

First, it again shows that devolution is an ongoing process.

Second, it demonstrates the asymmetric nature of UK devolution.

Scotland and Wales both have national devolved institutions, but they did not begin with identical powers or develop in exactly the same way.

Constitutional significance

Welsh devolution has:

• decentralised political power

• enabled policy differences between Wales and Westminster

• created a distinct Welsh political institution

• strengthened Welsh political representation

• developed through further transfers of power

The comparison with Scotland is especially useful in an essay because both demonstrate successful decentralisation, but also illustrate the absence of a uniform constitutional settlement.

Has Welsh devolution been successful?

Argument for success

The 2021 Edexcel mark scheme describes Welsh devolution as generally viewed positively, with the devolved institution becoming established and able to make laws suited to the Welsh electorate.

Edexcel's 2022 material also connects devolution in Wales and Scotland with:

• greater political choice

• government closer to the people

• improved political legitimacy

Argument against complete success

Welsh devolution initially involved fewer powers than Scotland, and Edexcel identifies continuing demands for further devolved authority as evidence that the settlement has not necessarily resolved every constitutional question.

Therefore:

Welsh devolution has established successful national self-government, but the changing scope of Welsh powers demonstrates that the original constitutional settlement was not final.

Devolution in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Assembly

Northern Ireland has a devolved Assembly.

Its constitutional arrangements are different from Scotland and Wales because Northern Irish devolution is closely connected to power-sharing.

The 2019 examination source contrasts the UK's different devolved arrangements and identifies Northern Ireland's system specifically through a power-sharing executive.

Northern Ireland Executive

The Northern Ireland Executive provides devolved executive government.

Its distinctive feature is the requirement for political power to be shared across Northern Ireland's major political communities.

The provided Edexcel materials link these institutions to the Good Friday Agreement and the aim of allowing both unionist and nationalist political positions to participate within the devolved constitutional system.

This makes Northern Irish devolution different in purpose as well as structure.

It is concerned not only with decentralisation but also with:

• power-sharing

• political accommodation

• peace and stability

Constitutional significance

Edexcel's 2022 mark scheme identifies Northern Irish devolution as having contributed to increased peace and stability, with the Good Friday Agreement creating power-sharing between unionist and nationalist communities.

The 2021 mark scheme similarly argues that Stormont has helped to contain political conflict within a peaceful political framework.

This provides a particularly strong argument for devolution:

In Northern Ireland, its impact can be assessed not merely in terms of decentralised policy making, but also in terms of political stability.

Problems with Northern Irish devolution

The settlement has not operated continuously.

Edexcel's 2021 mark scheme identifies lengthy periods when Stormont was suspended, including from January 2017 to January 2020.

The 2022 mark scheme notes that the Assembly and Executive have been suspended on more than one occasion and argues that this has prevented continuous locally controlled government.

This creates another important paired argument:

Devolution has created a peaceful power-sharing framework

versus

the institutions have sometimes been unable to function

A strong evaluation should recognise both.

The most persuasive defence of Northern Irish devolution is therefore not that the institutions have always worked smoothly. It is that the wider power-sharing structure has made an important contribution despite periods of institutional breakdown.

Devolution in England

England has a very different settlement.

There is no separate English national parliament equivalent to the Scottish Parliament.

Instead, devolution has developed through more limited and regional arrangements.

Edexcel examination materials identify:

• the Greater London Authority (GLA)

• Metro Mayors

• historically, English Votes for English Laws (EVEL) as a Westminster response to devolution

This is one of the areas that examiners repeatedly find students know less well.

Greater London Authority

The 2021 examiner report identifies the Greater London Authority as an important example students should understand when discussing English devolution.

Within the limits of the provided sources, the key examination point is that the GLA represents devolution within England rather than the creation of a single English national legislature.

It illustrates the regional and piecemeal nature of English devolution.

Metro Mayors

Since 2015, Edexcel material identifies the creation of Metro Mayors with:

• executive powers

• spending powers

• strategic powers

Metro Mayors therefore provide identifiable political leadership for particular English areas.

Edexcel's mark scheme argues that they can create:

• a clearer regional political voice

• stronger regional identity

• a working form of English devolution

This provides evidence that England has not been entirely excluded from devolution.

Limits of Metro Mayor devolution

However, English devolution remains much less extensive and less uniform than devolution in Scotland or Wales.

The 2021 Edexcel mark scheme describes changes involving Metro Mayors and the GLA as piecemeal and insufficient when compared with Scotland and Wales.

The 2022 examination source also notes that:

• much of England had no equivalent devolution

• mayoral devolution did not possess the same level of public support associated with devolution elsewhere

This is a major cause of constitutional asymmetry.

The West Lothian Question

Devolution creates a particular problem concerning England.

Edexcel examination materials repeatedly refer to the West Lothian Question as part of the debate about England's position after devolution.

The issue arises from the unequal territorial settlement and the representation of different parts of the UK within Westminster.

For this lesson, its main significance is that it demonstrates how devolving powers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can create constitutional questions about England.

An attempted response was English Votes for English Laws, although the 2022 examiner report notes that EVEL was later rescinded.

The continuing debate feeds directly into future constitutional options for England [Debates on further reform].

Comparing devolution across the UK

The central difference: asymmetry

The UK does not operate a symmetrical model in which each nation receives an identical legislature, executive and set of powers.

Instead:

• Scotland has extensive national devolution.

• Wales has national devolution, but its powers developed differently from Scotland's.

• Northern Ireland has national devolution built around a distinctive power-sharing system.

• England has more limited regional devolution and no separate national parliament.

The 2019 Edexcel mark scheme describes this explicitly as an uneven and unbalanced distribution of power.

Comparison table

Feature	Scotland	Wales	Northern Ireland	England
National devolved legislature	Yes, Scottish Parliament	Yes, Welsh Assembly/Senedd	Yes, Northern Ireland Assembly	No equivalent English Parliament
Devolved executive	Scottish Government	Welsh Government	Power-sharing Executive	Regional/mayoral executive arrangements
Powers increased after initial settlement	Yes	Yes	Edexcel 2021 comparison states no equivalent additional powers in that comparison	Devolution expanded through GLA and Metro Mayors
Can produce policy divergence	Yes	Yes	Yes within functioning devolved arrangements	Yes at regional level where powers exist
Distinctive feature	Extensive national devolution	Powers expanded from a less extensive initial settlement	Power-sharing and peace process	Piecemeal regional devolution
Major challenge	Continuing independence debate	Continuing debate about extent of powers	Institutional suspensions	Lack of a coherent England-wide settlement

This comparison is extremely useful for 30-mark essays because it prevents an answer from becoming entirely Scotland-focused.

Why is UK devolution asymmetric?

The provided sources do not identify one single constitutional blueprint behind the settlement.

Instead, the 2019 mark scheme argues that the UK embarked on constitutional change without a holistic plan, producing different powers, scopes and institutional formats.

That gives you an important analytical point:

Devolution developed in response to different political pressures in different parts of the UK rather than through one symmetrical redesign of the state.

This flexibility may be a strength, because arrangements can reflect different territorial circumstances.

It may also be a weakness, because citizens in different parts of the same state experience different constitutional arrangements.

The impact of devolution on the UK

The Edexcel specification does not simply require knowledge of individual devolved institutions. You must also assess the impact of devolution on the UK as a whole.

The main debates can be organised around:

1. democracy and legitimacy

2. policy divergence

3. parliamentary sovereignty

4. national identity and the Union

5. constitutional asymmetry

6. peace and stability

7. political participation

Impact 1: greater decentralisation and democracy

One of the strongest arguments in favour of devolution is that political decision-making has moved closer to people.

The 2022 examination source states that devolution has increased policy choice in Scotland and Wales and improved legitimacy by bringing government closer to the electorate.

The 2024 examination source similarly describes devolution as a success in delivering:

• decentralisation

• greater democracy

• continuing majority support for the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Senedd and Northern Ireland Assembly

This gives a clear analytical chain:

devolution

↓

decisions made closer to territorial electorates

↓

greater responsiveness to local preferences

↓

potential increase in democratic legitimacy

This links synoptically with democratic participation [Democracy and the case for reform].

Impact 2: policy divergence

Devolution means that different parts of the UK may pursue different policies.

The 2019 Edexcel source identifies policy divergence in areas such as:

• health

• education

• taxation

This can be interpreted positively or negatively.

Positive interpretation

Different policies reflect:

• different democratic preferences

• different territorial needs

• local political identities

The 2019 source argues that policy differences can demonstrate local democracy while remaining compatible with the integrity of the UK.

Negative interpretation

Policy divergence can also create:

• perceived inequality

• different opportunities across the UK

• resentment between territories

• constitutional tension

The 2019 mark scheme argues that different outcomes within one state may be viewed as unfair and can generate political backlash.

The same fact can therefore support both sides of an essay.

Impact 3: greater political limits on parliamentary sovereignty

Legally, Parliament remains sovereign.

Politically, devolution has made the exercise of that sovereignty more constrained.

Edexcel's 2024 mark scheme argues that devolved institutions created through democratic processes possess sufficient legitimacy that simply removing them would be politically extremely difficult.

This means devolution can be described as a political limit on parliamentary sovereignty.

A high-level answer should distinguish:

Parliament could legally act

from

Parliament could realistically act without enormous political consequences

That is a much more precise argument than simply claiming that devolution "ended sovereignty".

Impact 4: strengthening the Union

There is a significant argument that devolution has helped preserve the UK.

The 2019 Edexcel source argues that devolution has:

• satisfied some demands for self-government

• recognised local identities

• maintained the integrity of the UK

The 2022 mark scheme similarly argues that recognising the right of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to exercise their own government can help cement their place within the Union.

From this perspective:

devolution is an alternative to independence.

By allowing autonomy within the UK, it reduces pressure for complete separation.

Impact 5: threatening the Union

The opposite argument is equally important.

Devolution has not eliminated nationalism.

Edexcel sources identify:

• continuing Scottish independence demands

• the possibility that devolution can act as a stepping stone to independence

• constitutional tension following Brexit

• debate about Irish reunification

The 2024 examination source goes as far as arguing that devolution failed in its objective of rebuilding enthusiasm for the UK and limiting calls for independence.

This produces one of the strongest essay debates:

Devolution preserves the Union by accommodating national identity

versus

Devolution strengthens territorial political identities and makes separation more achievable

A sophisticated conclusion can argue that both effects may occur simultaneously.

Impact 6: peace and stability in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland provides one of the clearest positive impacts.

Edexcel's 2022 mark scheme states that the power-sharing settlement helped create increased peace and stability and brought unionist and nationalist political conflict into a peaceful framework.

The significance goes beyond administrative decentralisation.

In this case, devolution became part of the mechanism for managing deep political disagreement.

However, the repeated suspension of the devolved institutions means the judgement cannot simply be that Northern Irish devolution has been entirely successful.

Impact 7: the English democratic deficit

One criticism is that devolution solved demands for self-government in other parts of the UK while creating a new constitutional problem for England.

The 2022 source states that devolution transferred a legitimacy problem to England, identifying:

• the West Lothian Question

• limited mayoral powers

• incomplete territorial coverage of English devolution

The 2024 source similarly argues that the devolution settlement provides no clear equivalent representation or voice for England.

This is a central weakness of the asymmetric model.

However, the counterargument is that English interests are already represented at Westminster and that Metro Mayors offer an expanding alternative to an England-wide parliament. Edexcel's 2021 mark scheme explicitly presents this argument.

The question therefore becomes:

Does England need equivalent national devolution, or is regional devolution more appropriate?

That is developed fully in the next lesson [Debates on further reform].

Impact 8: turnout and political participation

Devolution may bring decision-making closer to citizens, but this does not automatically produce high electoral participation.

The 2022 source notes that turnout in devolved elections has been lower than in general elections.

The accompanying mark scheme argues that this can suggest weaker political engagement with devolved institutions.

This is an important qualification to claims that devolution necessarily improves democracy.

Greater opportunity for local participation does not automatically mean that citizens will use that opportunity.

This provides a useful link with participation and legitimacy [Democracy and the case for reform].

Devolution and electoral systems

Devolution also connects to electoral reform.

Edexcel's 2024 material states that different electoral systems introduced for devolved bodies have increased their representativeness and legitimacy.

Students can therefore connect this topic with different voting systems [Alternative electoral systems].

The synoptic relationship is:

devolution creates new representative institutions

↓

different electoral systems are used to elect them

↓

electoral design affects representation and legitimacy

This kind of connection is particularly useful in Paper 2 essay questions requiring links to Component 1.

Devolution and referendums

Referendums have played an important role in legitimising constitutional change.

The 2021 examiner report specifically praised students who linked devolution with referendums and how they are used.

This makes direct democracy [Referendums and how they are used] one of the strongest synoptic links for this lesson.

The key analytical point is that referendums can provide strong political legitimacy for devolved institutions even though Westminster Parliament remains legally sovereign.

Has devolution created a quasi-federal UK?

Edexcel's 2024 sovereignty mark scheme states that the operation of devolution can be interpreted as creating a quasi-federal system in practice.

This does not mean the specification requires you to declare that the UK has formally become federal.

Instead, distinguish:

Why it resembles federalism

• substantial powers are exercised by territorial institutions

• devolved bodies possess independent democratic legitimacy

• different laws and policies apply across territories

• removing devolved institutions would be politically difficult

Why it remains legally unitary

• Westminster Parliament remains legally sovereign

• legal sovereignty has not been formally divided between constitutionally equal levels of government

Therefore:

The UK remains formally unitary but has developed significant quasi-federal characteristics through devolution.

This is an excellent evaluative point because it demonstrates the difference between the Constitution's legal form and political operation.

Has devolution created more problems than it has solved?

This exact debate has featured prominently in Edexcel assessment.

Problems created by devolution

Devolution can be criticised because:

• devolved election turnout has sometimes been lower than general election turnout

• Northern Irish institutions have been suspended

• England lacks an equivalent national devolved settlement

• powers are distributed asymmetrically

• policy divergence can create perceived inequalities

• Scottish independence demands have continued

• relations between devolved institutions and Westminster can become tense

Problems solved by devolution

Devolution can be defended because:

• Scotland and Wales have greater policy choice

• government can be brought closer to people

• devolved institutions have achieved political legitimacy

• Metro Mayors provide an expanding form of English regional government

• power-sharing has contributed to peace and stability in Northern Ireland

• self-government can accommodate national identities within the Union

• different policies can reflect territorial preferences

Overall judgement

The strongest conclusion is unlikely to be that devolution has either simply "worked" or "failed".

It has been highly significant because it has permanently changed the practical distribution of political power within the UK.

However, its greatest strength and greatest weakness stem from the same feature: flexibility.

Different areas have received arrangements tailored to different political circumstances, allowing devolution to accommodate diverse identities and demands. Yet this has also created an uneven constitutional system in which territorial powers, institutions and political expectations differ considerably.

A strong overall judgement is:

Devolution has successfully decentralised power and created legitimate territorial institutions, with particularly important effects on representation and Northern Irish political stability. However, because the settlement is asymmetric and has not removed nationalist demands or resolved England's constitutional position, it has transformed rather than settled the territorial constitution of the UK.

Key Words 🔑

Key word	Student-friendly definition	How it may be used in an exam
Devolution	The dispersal of political power from central government to territorial institutions while Westminster retains ultimate legal sovereignty.	Use when defining the process and distinguishing political power from legal sovereignty.
Asymmetric devolution	A settlement in which different parts of the UK possess different institutions, powers and arrangements.	Use when comparing Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England.
Parliamentary sovereignty	The principle that Westminster Parliament remains the ultimate legal law-making authority.	Use when assessing whether devolution has fundamentally changed the UK's unitary Constitution.
Power-sharing	An arrangement in which political power is shared between different political communities.	Use when explaining the distinctive character and purpose of the Northern Ireland Executive.
Policy divergence	The development of different policies in different parts of the UK as devolved institutions make their own decisions.	Use when evaluating whether devolution increases democratic choice or creates inequality.

Hints from the Examiner Reports 💡

Examiner hint: Know all four parts of the UK. The 2021 examiner report found that the strongest answers understood how devolution affected England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland separately before reaching an overall judgement. Candidates were generally stronger on Scotland and Wales than on English arrangements such as the GLA and Metro Mayors.

Do not write a "devolution essay" that is really an essay only about Scotland.

Examiner hint: English devolution needs particular attention. The 2022 report again found difficulty with the development and impact of English devolution, especially EVEL, its rescinding and the expansion of Metro Mayors.

A comparison involving England is often what separates a broad answer from a narrow one.

Examiner hint: Use topical evidence to develop arguments rather than simply adding examples. Stronger responses in 2022 used evidence about all four nations to test whether devolution had created problems or solutions and maintained a view from introduction to conclusion.

Evidence should answer the question, not decorate a paragraph.

Examiner hint: Build synoptic links deliberately. The 2021 report praised connections between devolution and referendums, electoral systems, democracy and participation, and minor or emerging political parties.

For example, a Scottish devolution argument can connect naturally to referendums [Referendums and how they are used], while representation can connect to electoral systems [Alternative electoral systems].

Examiner hint: In source questions, pair directly competing arguments. The 2022 report praised responses that compared source arguments and developed them into substantiated judgements rather than presenting separate blocks of material.

For example:

devolution has strengthened local democracy

versus

lower devolved-election turnout weakens claims of increased engagement

creates immediate comparative analysis.

Examiner hint: Make the conclusion the logical outcome of the essay. Examiners recommend short, focused conclusions that follow from judgements made throughout rather than introducing a new opinion at the end.

Common Mistakes ⚠️

Mistake: Saying all parts of the UK have the same devolution settlement

Why this is incorrect: Edexcel explicitly treats devolution as asymmetric. Different territories possess different powers, institutions and constitutional arrangements.

How to improve: Build comparisons into your revision from the beginning rather than learning four separate descriptions.

Mistake: Saying devolution ended parliamentary sovereignty

Why this is incorrect: Devolution creates significant political constraints, but Edexcel continues to describe Parliament as legally sovereign.

How to improve: Write:

"Devolution disperses political power but does not automatically transfer ultimate legal sovereignty."

Mistake: Ignoring England

Why this is incorrect: Edexcel explicitly requires devolution in England, and examiner reports identify weak knowledge of the GLA and Metro Mayors as a recurring problem.

How to improve: Always prepare at least one comparison involving England.

Mistake: Treating Metro Mayors as equivalent to the Scottish Parliament

Why this is incorrect: English devolution is described by Edexcel as more limited and piecemeal, while Scotland possesses a national parliament and government with extensive devolved authority.

How to improve: Compare the scale, territorial coverage and institutional form of devolution.

Mistake: Saying Northern Irish devolution has simply failed because Stormont has been suspended

Why this is incorrect: Suspensions are an important weakness, but Edexcel also identifies devolution and power-sharing as contributing to peace and political stability.

How to improve: Evaluate both institutional effectiveness and the wider purpose of Northern Irish devolution.

Mistake: Assuming policy divergence is automatically negative

Why this is incorrect: Different policies may create perceived inequality, but they can also demonstrate local democracy by reflecting different territorial preferences.

How to improve: Use policy divergence as a paired argument rather than assuming it proves one side of the debate.

Mistake: Describing devolution without evaluating its impact

Why this is incorrect: The specification explicitly requires students to understand the impact of devolution on the UK, not merely describe devolved bodies.

How to improve: After every piece of institutional knowledge, ask:

So what has this changed about democracy, sovereignty, policy making or the Union?

Exam-Style Questions ✍️

Question 1

Define devolution. (1 mark)

Question 2

Identify two features that make Northern Ireland's devolution settlement different from that of England. (2 marks)

Question 3

Explain two differences between devolution in Scotland and England. (6 marks)

Question 4

Explain why devolution has not necessarily ended parliamentary sovereignty. (6 marks)

Question 5

Analyse two ways in which devolution has increased political diversity within the UK. (8 marks)

Question 6

Study the following information.

Area	Feature of devolution
Scotland	National parliament and government, with powers increased over time
Wales	National devolved institution, with powers increased after the initial settlement
Northern Ireland	Assembly and power-sharing Executive, but periods of suspension
England	GLA and Metro Mayors, without a national English Parliament

Using the information, analyse why UK devolution can be described as asymmetric. (10 marks)

Question 7

Read the following source.

Devolution has strengthened the UK by decentralising political power. Scottish and Welsh institutions can make decisions reflecting the preferences of their own electorates, while power-sharing in Northern Ireland has contributed to peaceful democratic politics. English Metro Mayors also provide stronger regional voices. Different policies across the UK therefore reflect healthy local democracy rather than constitutional weakness.However, the settlement is unequal. Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England possess different powers and institutions, and England still lacks an equivalent national devolved parliament. Policy divergence can create resentment, Northern Irish institutions have sometimes been suspended, and Scottish demands for independence have continued. Devolution may therefore have created new constitutional tensions rather than producing a stable Union.

Using the source, evaluate the view that devolution has created more problems than it has solved. (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

Question 8

Evaluate the view that devolution has strengthened rather than weakened the unity of the United Kingdom. (30 marks)

In your answer you should draw on relevant knowledge and understanding of Component 1: UK Politics and Core Political Ideas and consider the stated view and an alternative view in a balanced way.

Answers and mark scheme

Question 1

One mark for a definition explaining that devolution disperses political power from the centre to territorial institutions without necessarily transferring ultimate legal sovereignty.

Question 2

Possible answers include:

• Northern Ireland possesses a national Assembly, whereas England has no equivalent national parliament.

• Northern Ireland has a power-sharing Executive, whereas English devolution is organised through more limited regional arrangements such as Metro Mayors.

• Northern Irish devolution is closely associated with the Good Friday Agreement and managing unionist-nationalist political conflict.

Award one mark for each accurate distinction.

Question 3

Possible developed differences:

National versus regional devolution

• Scotland possesses a national Parliament and Government.

• England has no equivalent national devolved legislature, with devolution instead involving bodies such as the GLA and Metro Mayors.

Extent of powers

• Scotland has gained substantial additional powers through further devolution.

• English devolution is described in Edexcel material as piecemeal and limited by comparison.

Territorial coverage

• Scottish devolution covers Scotland nationally.

• English mayoral devolution applies only in areas possessing such arrangements.

Higher marks require explanation of the difference rather than simply identifying institutions.

Question 4

Indicative content:

• devolution transfers political power rather than necessarily transferring ultimate sovereignty

• devolved institutions exercise meaningful political authority within their areas of competence

• Parliament nevertheless remains legally sovereign

• Parliament's practical freedom is politically constrained because devolved institutions possess democratic legitimacy

• therefore devolution can weaken Westminster's political freedom of action without removing its legal sovereignty

A strong answer must distinguish legal and political power.

Question 5

Possible points include:

Policy divergence

• devolved institutions can make different political choices

• Edexcel material identifies differences in areas such as health, education and taxation

• this means public policy no longer has to be uniform across the UK

Institutional diversity

• Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England possess different forms of devolved government

• this creates multiple centres of political decision-making

Political representation

• national and regional institutions can represent territorial political preferences more directly

Electoral diversity

• different systems have been introduced for devolved bodies, linking devolution with changes in political representation

Higher marks require analysis of how each development has increased political diversity.

Question 6

A strong response should explain that devolution is asymmetric because the same constitutional model has not been applied throughout the UK.

Relevant points:

• Scotland has a national Parliament and Government and has gained further powers.

• Wales has a national devolved institution, but its original and subsequent powers have differed from Scotland's.

• Northern Ireland possesses a distinctive power-sharing Assembly and Executive.

• England lacks an equivalent national devolved parliament.

• English devolution operates through arrangements such as the GLA and Metro Mayors.

• the different territories therefore possess different powers, institutions and constitutional relationships with Westminster.

A strong conclusion might state:

UK devolution is asymmetric because power has been dispersed according to different territorial arrangements rather than through a single uniform or federal constitutional settlement.

Question 7

A high-level response should pair the competing source arguments.

Pair 1: Local democracy versus unequal outcomes

Problems solved:

• Scottish and Welsh institutions bring decision-making closer to territorial electorates

• different policies can reflect genuine democratic preferences

Problems created:

• policy divergence can produce different outcomes across one state

• this may generate perceptions of inequality

Judgement: determine whether policy diversity should be treated mainly as democratic responsiveness or constitutional unfairness.

Pair 2: Northern Ireland

Problems solved:

• power-sharing contributes to peaceful democratic politics

• unionist and nationalist positions can operate within the same devolved framework

Problems created:

• suspension of the Assembly and Executive has interrupted devolved government

Judgement: assess whether the wider contribution to peace outweighs periods of institutional breakdown.

Pair 3: England

Problems solved:

• Metro Mayors provide regional leadership and decentralisation

Problems created:

• England has no equivalent national devolved institution

• devolution is geographically and constitutionally uneven

Judgement: assess whether regional devolution is a suitable alternative to uniform national devolution.

Pair 4: the Union

Problems solved:

• self-government may satisfy demands for greater autonomy within the UK

Problems created:

• Scottish independence demands have continued

• stronger devolved institutions may reinforce national political identities

For high AO3, define what counts as a problem or solution. A strong overall judgement might prioritise the survival of the Union, democratic legitimacy or effective government and then assess devolution against that criterion.

Question 8

Arguments that devolution has strengthened the Union

• it accommodates Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish political identities within the UK

• devolved institutions allow territorial preferences to be represented

• policy divergence can demonstrate local democracy

• devolution has attracted substantial political legitimacy in Scotland and Wales

• Northern Irish power-sharing has contributed to peaceful politics

• Metro Mayors provide an expanding form of English regional devolution

Relevant synoptic links include referendums [Referendums and how they are used], because direct votes have provided political legitimacy for important constitutional choices.

Arguments that devolution has weakened the Union

• Scottish independence demands have continued

• devolution may provide an institutional base for further nationalist demands

• policy divergence can create resentment and perceived inequality

• Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England possess unequal arrangements

• England's constitutional position remains unsettled

• institutional suspensions have weakened devolved government in Northern Ireland

• tensions between devolved institutions and Westminster can undermine constitutional cohesion

A strong conclusion should avoid treating the issue as all-or-nothing.

One defensible judgement is that devolution has strengthened the Union in the short and medium term by allowing territorial self-government without abandoning the UK, but it has not produced a final constitutional settlement. Its asymmetry and the continuation of nationalist demands mean that it has changed the terms on which the Union operates rather than permanently resolving debates about its future.

This unresolved question leads directly into possible next steps for the Constitution [Debates on further reform].

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