Politics of Scotland
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The Politics of Scotland forms part of the wider politics of the United Kingdom, with Scotland one of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom; constitutionally, the United Kingdom is de jure a unitary state with one sovereign parliament and government. Under a system of devolution (or home rule) adopted in the late 1990s two constitutent countries within the United Kingdom, Scotland and Wales, voted for limited self-government, subject to the ability of the UK Parliament in Westminster, nominally at will, to amend, change, broaden or abolish the national governmental systems. As such the Scottish Parliament is not de jure sovereign. However, it is thought unlikely that any UK parliament would try to unilaterally abolish the devolved parliament and government without consultation via a referendum with the voters of the constituent country.
The head of state in Scotland is the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II (since 1952).
Executive power in the United Kingdom is vested in the Queen-in-Council, while legislative power is vested in the Queen-in-Parliament (the Crown and the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster in London). Under devolution, executive and legislative powers in certain areas have been constitutionally delegated to the Scottish Executive and the Scottish Parliament, at Holyrood in Edinburgh, respectively.
The United Kingdom Parliament retains active power over Scotland's taxes, social security system, the military, international relations, broadcasting, and some other areas explicitly specified in the Scotland Act 1998 as reserved matters. The Scottish Parliament has legislative authority for all other areas relating to Scotland, and has limited power to vary income tax.
The Scottish Parliament is a unicameral legislature comprised of 129 Members, 73 of whom represent individual constituencies and are elected on a first past the post system; 56 are elected in eight different electoral regions by the additional member system. The Queen appoints one of the members of the Parliament, on the nomination of the Parliament, to be First Minister. Other Ministers are also appointed by the Queen on the nomination of the Parliament and together with the First Minister they make up Scottish Executive, the executive arm of government.
Current situation
The current (since 2001) First Minister is Jack McConnell of the Labour Party, who forms the government on a coalition basis with the Liberal Democrats. The main opposition party is the Scottish National Party, which campaign for Scottish independence. Other parties include the Conservative and Unionist Party, the Scottish Green Party and the Scottish Socialist Party.
Under devolution Scotland is represented by 59 MPs in the British House of Commons elected from territory-based Scottish constituencies. A Secretary of State for Scotland, who prior to devolution headed the system of government in Scotland, sits in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom and is responsible for the limited number of powers the office retains since devolution, as well as relations with other Whitehall Ministers who have power over reserved matters. The Scottish Parliament can refer devolved matters back to Westminster to be considered as part of United Kingdom-wide legislation under the Sewel motion system if United Kingdom-wide legislation is considered to be more appropriate for certain issues. The Scotland Office is a department of the United Kingdom government, responsible for reserved Scottish affairs. The current Secretary of State for Scotland is Douglas Alexander. Until 1999, Scottish peers were entitled to sit in the House of Lords.
The main political debate in Scotland tends to revolve around attitudes to the constitutional question. Under the pressure of growing support for Scottish independence a policy of devolution had been advocated by all three UK-wide parties to some degree during their history (although Labour and the Conservatives have also at times opposed it). This question dominated the Scottish political scene in the latter half of the 20th century. Now that devolution has occurred, the main argument about Scotland's constitutional status is over whether the Scottish Parliament should accrue additional powers (for example over fiscal policy), or seek to obtain full independence. Ultimately the long term question is: should the Scottish parliament continue to be a subsidiary assembly created and potentially abolished by the constitutionally dominant and sovereign parliament of the United Kingdom (as in devolution) or should it have an independent existence as of right, with full sovereign powers (either through independence, a federal United Kingdom or a confederal arrangement)? Finally, will the current devolution system satisfy Scottish demands for self-government or strengthen demands for full-blown independence?
The programmes of legislation enacted by the Scottish Parliament have seen the divergence in the provision of public services compared to the rest of the United Kingdom. While the costs of a university education, and care services for the elderly are free at point of use in Scotland, fees are paid in the rest of the UK. Scotland is the first country in the UK to ban smoking in public places. [1]
The Scottish Parliament
The election of the Labour government in 1997 ensured that there would be a referendum on establishing a devolved Scottish Parliament. This was held in September, 1997 and the Scottish people voted 75% in favour of its establishment.
The Parliament was then created by the Scotland Act 1998 of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Westminster Parliament). This act sets out the subjects still dealt at Westminster, referred to as reserved matters, include Defence, International Relations, Fiscal and Economic Policy, Drugs Law and Broadcasting, to name but a few. Anything not mentioned as a specific reserved matter is automatically devolved to Scotland, including health, education, local government, Scots Law and all other issues. This is one of the key differences between the successful Scotland Act 1998 and the failed Scotland Act 1978.
The Parliament is elected with a mixture of the first past the post system and a proportional representation electoral system, namely, the additional members system. Thus the Parliament is unlike the Westminster Parliament, which is still elected solely by the first past the post method. The Scottish Parliament is elected every four years and contains 129 members, referred to as Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). Of the 129 MSPs, 73 are elected to represent first past the post constituencies, whilst the remaining 56 are elected by the additional member system.
The proportional representation system has resulted in the election of a number of candidates from parties that would not have been expected to get representation through the first past the post system.
To replace the Scottish Office, the former UK government department who fought in Scotland's corner, a devolved administration called the Scottish Executive was established, with the First Minister of Scotland at its head. The secretariat of the Executive is part of the UK Civil Service and the head of the Executive, the Permanent Secretary (presently John Elvidge), is the equivalent of the Permanent Secretary of a Whitehall department.
First Ministers
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Presiding Officers
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Scotland in the Parliament of the United Kingdom
The House of Commons
Until the 2005 General Election, Scotland elected 72 MPs from 72 single-member constituencies to serve in the House of Commons. As this over-represented Scotland in relation to the other components of the UK, Clause 81 of the Scotland Act 1998 equalised the English and Scottish electoral quota. As a result, the Boundary Commission for Scotland's recommendations were adopted, reducing Scottish representation in the House of Commons to 59 MPs from the 2005 General Election. In order to facilitate this reduction in the number of MP's from Scottish constituencies, the necessary amendment to the Scotland Act 1998, was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom as the Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004. The previous over-representation was widely accepted before to allow for a greater Scottish voice in the Commons, but since the establishment of a Scottish Parliament it has been felt that this is less necessary.
Scottish MPs are elected at the same time as the rest of the UK's MPs are.
Scotland was historically represented in the UK government by the Secretary of State for Scotland. This post was established in the 1880s but recently it has been the topic of much speculation. Many believe that since devolution there is no need for such a role to exist. The current Secretary of State is Douglas Alexander. His department, the Scotland Office, created in 1999, liaises with other Whitehall departments about devolution matters.
Current Scottish Representation in the Commons is:
The House of Lords
At one stage, Scottish peers were entitled to elect sixteen representative peers to the House of Lords. In 1963, the Peerage Act was passed, allowing every Scottish peer to sit in the House of Lords. However, since the current Labour government's reforms of that house this is no longer the case and hereditary Scottish peers have to stand for election from amongst all eligible peers to sit in the house as part of a group of 92 entitled to do so.
Scotland in Europe
Scotland constitutes a single European Parliament constituency. See Scotland (European Parliament constituency).
It is also represented in the Committee of the Regions.
Local government
Local government in Scotland is organised into 32 unitary authorities covering the mainland and islands of Scotland. Each local authority is governed by council consiting of elected councillors, who are elected every four years by registered voters in each of the council areas.
Scottish councils co-operate through and are represented collectively by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA).
There are currently around 1,200 councillors in total, each paid a part-time salary for the undertaking of their duties. Each authority elects a Convener or Provost to chair meetings of the authority's council and act as a figurehead for the area. The four main cities of Scotland, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee have a Lord Provost who is also Lord Lieutenant for that city.
There are in total 32 Unitary Authorities, the largest being the City of Glasgow with more than 600,000 inhabitants, the smallest, Orkney, with less than 20,000 people. See Subdivisions of Scotland for a list of the Council Areas.
Community Councils
Community Councils represent the interests of local people. Local authorities have a statutory duty to consult Community Councils on planning, development and other issues directly affecting that local community. However, the Community Council has no direct say in the delivery of services. In many areas they do not function at all, but some work very effectively at improving their local area.
Elections for Community Councils are determined by the Local Authority but the law does state that candidates cannot stand on a party-political ticket.
History
Until 1832 Scottish politics remained very much in the control of landowners in the country, and of small cliques of merchants in the burghs. However by 1885 around 50% of the male population had the vote, the secret ballot had become established, and the modern political era had started.
From 1885 to 1918 the Liberal Party almost totally dominated Scottish politics. Only in the khaki election of 1900 did the Conservative Party -- known as the Unionists in Scotland -- win a majority of seats.
In general the Unionists achieved their best results in the Glasgow area, almost certainly due to the "Orange" vote.
After the confused election of 1918, 1922 saw the emergence of the Labour Party as a major force. "Red Clydeside" elected a number of Labour MPs. A communist gained election for Motherwell in 1924, but in essence the 1920s saw a 3-way fight between Labour, the Liberals and the Unionists. The Scottish National Party (founded in 1934) first contested a seat in 1929, but it remained a peripheral force for many years.
The Communists won West Fife in 1935 and again in 1945 (Willie Gallacher) and several Glasgow Labour MPs joined the Independent Labour Party in the 1930s, often heavily defeating the official Labour candidates.
The National Government won the vast majority of Scottish seats in 1931 and 1935: the Liberal Party, banished to the Highlands and Islands, no longer functioned as a significant force in Central Scotland.
In 1945 the SNP saw its first MP (Robert McIntyre) elected, but had little success for the next decade. The ILP members rejoined the Labour Party, and Scotland now had in effect a two-party system.
- 1950: The Liberals won 2 seats - Jo Grimond winning Orkney and Shetland.
- 1951: Labour and the Unionists won 35 seats each, the Liberals losing one seat.
- 1955: The Unionists won a majority of both seats and votes. The SNP managed to finish second in Perth and Kinross.
- 1959: In contrast to England, Scotland swung to Labour, which scored 4 gains at the expense of the Unionists. This marked the start of a process which in less than 40 years saw the Unionists' Scottish representation at Westminster reduced to zero.
- 1964: A substantial swing to Labour occurred, giving them 44 of Scotland's 71 seats. The Liberals won 4 seats, all in the Highlands.
- 1965: David Steel won a by-election for the Liberals.
- 1966: Labour gained 2 more seats and the Liberals made a net gain of 1. The SNP garnered over 100,000 votes and finished second in 3 seats.
- 1967: The SNP did well in the Pollok by-election, but this had the effect of allowing the Conservative candidate to win. However in the subsequent Hamilton by-election Winnie Ewing won a sensational victory.
- 1968: The SNP made substantial gains in local elections.
- 1970: The SNP performed poorly in local elections and in the South Ayrshire by-election. The General Election saw a small swing to the Conservative & Unionists, but Labour won a majority of seats in Scotland. The SNP made little progress in Central Scotland, but took votes from the Liberals in the Highlands and in North East Scotland, and won the Western Isles.
- 1971-1973: The SNP did well in by-elections, Margo MacDonald winning Govan.
- 1974: In the two general elections of 1974 the SNP won 7 and then 11 seats, their share of the vote rising from 11% in 1970 to 22% and then 30%. With the Labour Party winning the latter election by a narrow margin the SNP appeared in a strong position.
- 1974-1979: Devolution dominated this period: the Labour government attempted to steer through devolution legislation against strong opposition, not least from its own backbenchers. Finally a referendum, whilst producing a small majority in favour of an elected assembly, failed to reach 40% of the total electorate, a target set in the legislation. In the 1979 general election the SNP fared disastrously, falling to 17% of the vote and 2 seats. Labour did well in Scotland, but in the United Kingdom as a whole Margaret Thatcher led the Conservatives to a decisive victory.
- 1979-1983: The SNP suffered severe splits as the result of the 1979 débâcle. Labour also was riven by internal strife as the Social Democratic Party split away, and the Militant Tendency grew increasingly strong. Despite this, the 1983 election still saw Labour remain the majority party in Scotland, with a smaller swing to the Conservatives than in England. The SNP's vote declined further, to 11%.
- 1987: The Labour Party did well in the 1987 election, mainly at the expense of the Conservative & Unionists, who were reduced to their smallest number of Scottish seats since before World War I. The SNP made a small but significant advance.
- 1988: Jim Sillars won the Govan by-election for the SNP
- 1992: This election proved a disappointment for Labour and the SNP in Scotland. The SNP went from 14% to 21% of the vote but won only 3 seats. The Conservative vote did not collapse, as had been widely predicted, leading to claims that their resolutely anti-devolution stance had paid dividends.
- 1997: In common with England, a Labour landslide occurred in Scotland. The SNP doubled their number of MPs to 6, but the Conservatives failed to win a single seat. Unlike 1979, Scottish voters delivered a decisive "Yes" vote in the referendum on establishing a Scottish Parliament.
Political Parties
The largest political party operating in Scotland is the Labour Party. In the course of the twentieth century, they gradually rose to prominence as Scotland's main political force. The party was established to represent the interests of workers and trade unionists. They currently operate as the senior partners in a coalition Scottish Executive.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) was formed in the 1930s with the aim of achieving Scottish independence. They are broadly centre-left and are in the European Social-Democratic mould. As the second-largest party in the Scottish Parliament, they are the official opposition to Labour.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats are currently junior partners in a coalition Scottish Executive. In the 2005 Westminster election they became the second strongest party (in terms of seats and votes) in Scotland. The have the third highest number of councillors, and are the joint third strongest party in the Scottish Parliament.
The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party has declined in popularity in recent years. They are the only party ever to have achieved an outright majority of Scottish votes at any General Election, in 1951, when still the Scottish Unionist Party. However at the 1997 General Election they failed to get a single Scottish MP elected and at the following General Election they returned only one, as they did in 2005. They are centre-right, but many Scots used to vote for them simply because of their unionist credentials.
The Scottish Green Party have won regional additional member seats in the Scottish Parliament, as a result of the proportional representation electoral system for the Scottish Parliament. In 1999 this gave the UK its first green parliamentarian, Robin Harper. The Greens are also for Scottish independence
The Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) were formed in 1998 and operate as the foremost political party of the far-left in Scotland. They are strongest in urban west central Scotland, the traditional heartland of the Labour Party. The Socialist party is also advocating Scottish independence
The Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party (SSCUP) were formed just in time to contest the 2003 elections to the Scottish Parliament. Unsurprisingly they were formed to work for the rights of Scotland's senior citizens. More surprisingly, thanks to the Scottish Parliament's proportional electoral system, they managed to get one MSP elected, John Swinburne, their party founder and leader.
References
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- ^ Scotland begins pub smoking ban BBC Online, 26 March 2006
See also
External links
- Scotland Act 1998
- Scottish Politics by Alba Publishing an archive of Scottish election results and other political data
- Politics of Scotland a nonpartisan blog of Scottish political news
- Holyrood magazine an independent magazine covering the Scottish Parliament and Scottish politics