- SCOTLAND
- The Scottish Parliament has 129 members (MSPs) elected by the additional member system (AMS) – 73 MSPs (57% of the total) are elected in single-member constituencies using the FPTP system – 56 MSPs (43% of the total) are ‘additional members’ chosen from party lists.
- Scotland Act 2016: The Scottish Parliament and government cannot be abolished unless approved in a referendum in Scotland. The new powers devolved by the Act:
- The power to set income tax rates and bands.
- Some additional taxes and duties, including air passenger duty and aggregates levy.
- The right to receive 50% of the VAT raised in Scotland etc.
- WALES
- The National Assembly for Wales (Welsh Assembly) has 60 members elected by the
- additional member system: 40 members are elected in single-member constituencies using the FPTP system. 20 members are elected in five multi-member regions using the regional list system of proportional representation.
- The Wales Act 2017 created a Welsh rate of income tax by giving the assembly control over a portion (10 pence in the pound) of income tax and at the same time remove the need for a referendum in order to do this, as was specified in the Wales Act 2014.
- The Wales Act 2017 established the assembly and Welsh government as a permanent feature of the UK constitution.
- NORTHERN IRELAND
- The Northern Ireland Assembly consists of 108 members, elected by the single transferable vote (STV) system of proportional representation. The number of assembly members is expected to be cut to 90 ahead of the 2021 election.
- The assembly has primary legislative powers in a range of policy areas. It does not have major tax-raising powers, although corporation tax was devolved in 2015. Some legislative measures require cross-community support from both unionist and nationalist parties.
- The first minister is the leader of the largest party in the assembly, and the deputy first minister is from the second largest party. Ministerial posts are allocated on a proportional basis according to party strength.
- The GFA agreement ensures power sharing, with both unionists and nationalists represented in government.
- ENGLAND
- In October 2015, MPs voted to introduce EVEL:
- Bills certified by the speaker as England-only are considered in a Legislative Grand Committee — an additional stage of the legislative process — where MPs representing English constituencies can veto them, or parts of them. But these bills still require majority support in the House of Commons, and MPs from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can vote on (and thus block) them at the third reading.
- Used for the first time for the Housing and Planning Bill in 2016.
- Local authorities are the lowest level of government in the UK and in England are the only elected branch of government below central government.
- The Greater London Authority has strategic responsibility for economic development, transport, planning and policing. It consists of a directly elected mayor and a 25-member London Assembly.