1 Territorial politics in the United Kingdom after devolution and regional reform : whither relative tranquillity and the suspended revolution ?

Introduction One of the principal reforms of the system of government under the Blair Governments was the devolution of power from Westminster to a set of elected meso-level institutions representing the UK's distinct territorially recognised assets: a Parliament for the nation of Scotland (1999); an assembly for the principality of Wales (1999) and an assembly for the province of Northern Ireland. At the same time in England, by far the largest and most populous nation within the UK, the Blair Governments placed a focus on the development of regional governance. Regional development agencies were established in all nine English regions. In London this was accompanied by an elected Greater London Authority, although in other regions indirectly elected regional assemblies were developed in the absence of support for elected institutions. The policy of devolution and regional reform was historically significant for its potential implications for the governance of individual territories, the politics of the UK as a whole, and for the UK's place in the European trend towards the re-valorisation of sub-state territorial units in contemporary state development. The nature, origins and implications of devolution and regionalism have inspired a considerable research literature, embracing both territory-specific and comparative research. This paper seeks to provide a perspective that seeks to take stock of the Blair Government's devolution and regional policies in the round: to contribute to an appreciation of both the achievements and legacy of the Blair era. The paper is in three sections. Section one provides a context to analysis; it outlines conceptual and historical assumptions framing our understanding of territorial politics in the UK; the pressures for change in the second half of the twentieth century; the stated 3 goals of the Labour party in opposition in proposing devolution and regional reform; and a theoretical consideration of the criteria by which the Blair Governments policies and their impact can be assessed. Section two considers the approaches adopted in introducing devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and regional reform in England over the period 1997-2007. Section three then considers the implications of these reforms for territorial politics in the UK. Overall, the analysis is influenced by the aim to explore further the concepts and interpretation of UK territorial politics pioneered by Jim Bulpitt in the contemporary analysis of post-devolution UK (Bulpitt, 1983; Governments engagement with territorial questions, and how they set about their programme of reform. In assessing the implications …