Not all government decisions are made at Westminster. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland each have their own devolved governments with power over certain areas. Local councils also play an important role. Here is how it all fits together.
Key facts
- The Scottish Parliament sits in Edinburgh and has powers over health, education, law, and taxation in Scotland.
- The Welsh Senedd (formerly Welsh Assembly) sits in Cardiff and has powers over health, education, and some taxation.
- The Northern Ireland Assembly sits at Stormont in Belfast and has powers over health, education, and agriculture.
- Devolved governments do NOT have power over defence, foreign affairs, immigration, or the constitution - these are reserved to Westminster.
- The Scottish Parliament can vary income tax rates. The Welsh Senedd gained some tax powers in 2019.
- England does not have its own devolved parliament - English matters are decided by the UK Parliament at Westminster.
- Local government is run by elected councils that provide services like education, planning, housing, roads, rubbish collection, and libraries.
- Councillors are elected by local residents. Local elections do not always happen at the same time as general elections.
In depth
Since the late 1990s, the UK has operated a system of devolution, giving Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland their own elected bodies with power over certain policy areas. The Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh has wide-ranging powers, including over health, education, law, and the ability to set its own income tax rates. The Welsh Senedd in Cardiff has powers over similar areas, though historically more limited than Scotland's. The Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont in Belfast manages areas like health, education, and agriculture, and operates under a power-sharing arrangement between unionist and nationalist parties.
Importantly, certain powers are reserved to the UK Parliament at Westminster. These include defence, foreign affairs, immigration, and the constitution. England does not have its own devolved parliament - laws that apply specifically to England are debated and passed by the UK Parliament. At the most local level, elected councils manage day-to-day services such as education, planning permission, housing, road maintenance, libraries, and waste collection. Councillors are elected by local residents, and local elections are an important way for people to have a say in how their communities are run.
Remember that powers have been devolved to the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Senedd and the Northern Ireland Assembly, each able to make laws on certain matters. Local services are run by councils, funded partly by council tax. The test may ask which body is responsible for a particular decision.