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Between Devolution and Direct Rule: Implications of a Political Vacuum in Northern Ireland?
Author(s) -
Heenan Deirdre,
Birrell Derek
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
the political quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.373
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1467-923X
pISSN - 0032-3179
DOI - 10.1111/1467-923x.12509
Subject(s) - devolution (biology) , scrutiny , northern ireland , legislation , politics , government (linguistics) , irish , corporate governance , political science , home rule , public administration , legislature , administration (probate law) , political economy , law , sociology , economics , management , ethnology , linguistics , philosophy , anthropology , human evolution
It is over a year since the collapse of the devolved administration at Stormont, which left one region of the United Kingdom without a functioning executive. Reluctance to introduce direct rule from Westminster reduced Northern Ireland to a desiccated form of governance. This article examines the nature and form of government in this political vacuum. The consequences of this system are examined in terms of the absence of legislation, mechanisms for scrutiny, and participation in intergovernmental relations. In the absence of devolution and direct rule, the potential for greater involvement of the Irish government in the affairs of Northern Ireland is also considered.