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Territory, power and statecraft: understanding English devolution

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  • Sarah Ayres
  • Matthew Flinders
  • Mark Sandford

Abstract

In recent decades, the devolution of power to subnational regional authorities has formed a key element of what has been termed the ‘unravelling’ or ‘unbundling’ of the state in many parts of the world. Even in the United Kingdom, with its distinctive global reputation as a power-hoarding majoritarian democracy, the devolution of powers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland since 1998 can be located within this broader devolutionary dynamic. In recent years, this process has focused on ‘the English question’ and a reform agenda that claimed to offer a ‘devolution revolution’. This paper offers the first research-led analysis of the scope, scale and implications of these post-2015 reforms to English governance. It utilizes Jim Bulpitt’s statecraft approach to explore the changing nature of centre–periphery relationships within England. The main conclusion has been that a ‘rhetoric–reality gap’ currently exists and a ‘devolution revolution’ has not occurred.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah Ayres & Matthew Flinders & Mark Sandford, 2018. "Territory, power and statecraft: understanding English devolution," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(6), pages 853-864, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:regstd:v:52:y:2018:i:6:p:853-864
    DOI: 10.1080/00343404.2017.1360486
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Maximilian Lemprière & Vivien Lowndes, 2019. "Why did the North East Combined Authority fail to achieve a devolution deal with the UK government?," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 34(2), pages 149-166, March.
    2. Mark Fransham & Max Herbertson & Mihaela Pop & Margarida Bandeira Morais & Neil Lee, 2023. "Level best? The levelling up agenda and UK regional inequality," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(11), pages 2339-2352, November.
    3. David Richards & Sam Warner & Martin J Smith & Diane Coyle, 2023. "Crisis and state transformation: Covid-19, levelling up and the UK’s incoherent state," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 16(1), pages 31-48.
    4. Edmund Heery & Deborah Hann & David Nash, 2020. "Political devolution and employment relations in Great Britain: the case of the Living Wage," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(5), pages 391-409, September.
    5. Neil Lee, 2019. "Inclusive Growth in cities: a sympathetic critique," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(3), pages 424-434, March.
    6. Kate Broadhurst & Edward Steane & Vlad Mykhnenko & Nicholas Gray, 2023. "Intergovernmental dynamics in responding to COVID-19 in English and Australian cities," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 16(1), pages 185-196.
    7. Raco, Mike & Ward, Callum & Brill, Frances & Sanderson, Danielle & Freire-Trigo, Sonia & Ferm, Jess & Hamiduddin, Iqbal & Livingstone, Nicola, 2022. "Towards a virtual statecraft: housing targets and the governance of urban housing markets," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 114315, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    8. Marianne Sensier & Elvira Uyarra, 2020. "Investigating the Governance Mechanisms that Sustain Regional Economic Resilience and Inclusive Growth," Economics Discussion Paper Series 2005, Economics, The University of Manchester.
    9. Isabel Narbón-Perpiñá & Maria Teresa Balaguer-Coll & Diego Prior & Emili Tortosa-Ausina, 2021. "Searching for the optimal territorial structure: the case of Spanish provincial councils," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(4), pages 645-664, April.
    10. Victoria Habermehl & Beth Perry, 2021. "The Risk Of Austerity Co‐Production In City‐Regional Governance In England," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(3), pages 555-571, May.
    11. Pauline McGuirk & Robyn Dowling & Pratichi Chatterjee, 2021. "Municipal Statecraft For The Smart City: Retooling The Smart Entrepreneurial City?," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 53(7), pages 1730-1748, October.
    12. Matthew Thompson & Vicky Nowak & Alan Southern & Jackie Davies & Peter Furmedge, 2020. "Re-grounding the city with Polanyi: From urban entrepreneurialism to entrepreneurial municipalism," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 52(6), pages 1171-1194, September.
    13. Geoff Bates & Charles Larkin & Nick Pearce & Laura Smyth, 2023. "Policy ‘R&D’, capacity and advocacy in English Combined Authorities," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 38(3), pages 226-241, May.

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