A Stronger or Weaker Union? Public Reactions to Asymmetric Devolution in the United Kingdom

John Curtice

Publius: The Journal of Federalism, vol. 36, issue 1, 95-113

Abstract: A system of asymmetric devolution was established for the first time in Great Britain in 1999. Its advocates hoped it would strengthen public support for the maintenance of the United Kingdom, whereas its critics feared it would have the opposite effect. This article examines which of these two perspectives appears to have been correct by looking at trends in national identity and constitutional preferences in each of England, Scotland, and Wales following the advent of devolution. It finds that although there may have been some erosion of British national identity and although there are some pressures for further changes, a system of asymmetric devolution appears to be the only constitutional structure capable of enjoying public support throughout Great Britain. Copyright , Oxford University Press.

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