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The Forward March of Devolution Halted—and the Limits of Progressive Unionism
Author(s) -
Andrews Leighton
Publication year - 2021
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.13044
Subject(s) - devolution (biology) , expansive , political science , brexit , political economy , legislation , law and economics , law , public administration , sociology , economics , compressive strength , materials science , european union , anthropology , composite material , economic policy , human evolution
The philosophy underlying the creation of the devolved institutions in Wales and Scotland was expansive, leading to a growth in powers over twenty years. That approach is now under challenge following recent Brexit legislation, which marks a sharp contrast with the unionist approaches of the past. The Covid‐19 pandemic provided a visibility boost for devolution, while exposing existing tensions in intergovernmental relations. This article identifies four forms of unionism in operation over the last twenty years—passive, activist, progressive and muscular—and questions whether muscular unionism can now be considered a form of statecraft. Those ‘progressive unionists’ who advocate further devolution should avoid ‘constitutional determinism’—the assumption that muscular unionism will inevitably lead to a breakup of the UK unless further constitutional reform takes place.