Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Federalism UK and peers - Coggle Diagram
Federalism UK and peers
'Federal' powers in the UK
Metro mayors
Metro mayors cover more then one local authority and each have their own devolution deals that lead to different levels of powers for each mayor. Instead of focusin on spefic local issues they focus on more broader issues across their combined authority.
https://www.centreforcities.org/publication/everything-need-know-metro-mayors/
County councils
https://www.gov.uk/understand-how-your-council-works
Education (not acadamies).
Transport.
Planning.
Fire and public safety.
Social care.
Libaries.
Waste management.
Trading stanards.
Lack of finance powers has led to spending cuts:
Devolved powers
Scotland
Health.
Education.
Policing.
Infaustructure.
Local government.
Financial powers.
Wales
Health.
Transport.
Education.
Some local authority powers.
Agriculture.
Some financial powers.
Powers over devolved elections.
Northern Ireland
Healthcare.
Powers over non-reserved powers.
Transport.
Education.
Policing.
Agriculture.
Unentrenched which means that all powers that have been granted to the regional powers in the UK could be revoked by parliament.
The Good Friday Agreement and the referendums to implement the powers are the only forces that prevent their modification. Excludinf the GFA these are quite weak.
Federalism in other countries
Germany
Article 70 of the German constitution states that all law making powers are reserved to German states unless they are outlined in the Basic Law [
https://www.dw.com/en/german-federalism-covid-challenges-the-system/a-57042552
]
Powers
Healthcare.
Policing.
Cultural policy.
Construction planning.
Domestic inteligence.
Almost all major policies that a German government would wish to pass require the unanimous consent of the state leaders [
https://www.dw.com/en/german-federalism-covid-challenges-the-system/a-57042552
].
Overal German states have control over 1/3 of laws [
https://www.dw.com/en/german-federalism-covid-challenges-the-system/a-57042552
].
The Bundesrat is the seccond body of the German legislative system that is made up of members of state legislators, its consent is required for the passing of some laws and all constitutional reforms. [
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bundesrat-German-government
]
These laws include
Any that would impact the states [
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bundesrat-German-government
] (3)
The Bundesrat can vote on any bill and if 2/3rds of it votes against the bill which forces the Bunderstag to hold another vote with a 2/3rds threshhold [
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bundesrat-German-government
] (4)
Can introduce legislation [
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bundesrat-German-government
] (5).
The Bundesrat has to ratify treatries [
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bundesrat-German-government
] (9)
France
Communes
French Communes are the lowest of government power that focuses on people's daily lives focuses on devleopment of economic and social development [
http://www.citymayors.com/france/france_gov.html#:~:text=Three%20tiers%20of%20local%20government,with%20powers%20of%20their%20own
.]
Departments
These are the next powers up on the ring with powers focused on health and social care, rural capital works, roads, some education funding. [
http://www.citymayors.com/france/france_gov.html#:~:text=Three%20tiers%20of%20local%20government,with%20powers%20of%20their%20own
.]
Regions
These are the powers just below the central government with powers focused on planning, regional town and country planning, economic development and expanded education powers. [
http://www.citymayors.com/france/france_gov.html#:~:text=Three%20tiers%20of%20local%20government,with%20powers%20of%20their%20own
.]
France is a unitary state with most of its power located in the central government and in particular with the president, in some ways this is very similar to the UK, but an important differences is that in France federal powers are equal between each level meanwhile in the UK devolution is different (i.e. differences between England, Scotland and Wales).
How do they compare
Differences in consitency
Both Germany and France have powers evenly split between in their different powers. Unlike in the UK where the powers of England are different to that of the over nations.
Differences in powers
English counciles have reletily minimal powers with very little legislative powers and minimal finance powers (they can't borrow money and only 7% of all taxes (value) were raised by local government whilst in Germany over 30% of tax was raised at a state level [
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/local-government-funding-england#:~:text=While%20grants%20from%20central%20government,22%20compared%20to%202009%2F10
.] states are also quite powerful in the legislative process in many European countries with both Germany and the Netherlands regional governance have a role in the legislative process.
Reform
The current system of local government in the UK deosn't work.
England with a population of 59.6 million [
https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/uk-population-by-ethnicity/national-and-regional-populations/population-of-england-and-wales/latest
] has very little devolved powers compared with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Centralising power in an English parliament would not likely fix this problem areas such as Yorkshire having similar populations to that of Scotland [
https://populationdata.org.uk/population-of-yorkshire/
] [
https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/population/population-estimates/mid-year-population-estimates/mid-2021
].
Regional parliaments would offer a better option:
They would ensure legislation is passed closer to the people it is affecting as well as ensuring that issues that can be handled at a local level are.
It would reinforce the idea that devolution was not a step on the ladder for the disulsion of the UK and is instead a move to democratise the country.
It should help in the creation of more parties, in the three devolved bodies smaller parties like the Greens and Plyaid Cmyr have a greater voice. We can see this in England's Scotland's and Wales' councils as well with 11% of councilors coming from 'other' parties (not Labour, Conservatives, Lib Dems, Greens, SNP, Plaid). [
http://opencouncildata.co.uk/
]
A key change would need to come in regards to funding, without granting local government the ability to fund their own policy decisions then they remain dependent on central govenrment and can't truly act independtly.
Bennet formula
