Regional Assemblies in England
Encyclopedia
The Regional Assemblies of England
were a group of indirectly elected regional bodies established originally under the name Regional Chambers by the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998. They were abolished on 31 March 2010 and replaced by Local Authority Leaders’ Board
s. These changes did not affect the directly elected London Assembly
, which was established by separate legislation as part of the Greater London Authority
.
opinions to the business-led Regional Development Agencies
. Their role later included scrutinising their regional development agency; integrating policy development and enhancing partnership working at the regional level across the social, economic and environmental policy agenda; as well as carrying out a wide range of advocacy and consultancy roles with UK government bodies and the European Union
; but their public profile was low. Each acted as a Regional Planning Body with a duty to formulate a Regional Spatial Strategy
including Regional Transport Strategy, replacing the planning function of county councils.
and district councils and unitary authorities
in each region
, the remaining one-third are appointees from other regional interest groups. The exception is the London Assembly
, which has 25 directly elected members. Its role is defined in the Greater London Authority Act 1999
.
The London Assembly
was established as a directly elected body by separate legislation and is part of the Greater London Authority
. It continues to exist after the abolition of the eight partnership Regional Assemblies.
Each assembly corresponded to a region of England
:
Your Region, Your Choice outlining its plans for the possible establishment of Elected Regional Assemblies. These assemblies were to be responsible for regional strategies dealing with sustainable development, economic development, spatial planning
, transport, waste, housing, culture (including tourism) and biodiversity. They would be funded primarily by central government grant, with powers to raise additional funds from a precept on the council tax
.
The Assemblies were expected to be elected by an Additional Member System
similar to those used for the London Assembly
, the Scottish Parliament
and the National Assembly for Wales
. The Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Act 2003
made provisions for referendums to be held to create such assemblies, and to simplify the structure of Local Government where this is done. Three such referendums were planned, for the regions of North East
and North West England
and Yorkshire and the Humber
.
On 12 February 2004, Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford
announced that elected Assemblies would be able to direct local authorities to refuse strategic planning applications that are not in the region's best interest. They would be able to look across local boundary constraints and ensure planning decisions are made with region-wide interests taken into account. On 8 July 2004 it was announced that the referendums would be held on 4 November (see Northern England referendums, 2004
) but on 2 July Raynsford announced that only the North East England vote would go ahead on that date. This region was chosen because the government thought it was the most likely to approve the proposal, but the voters rejected the assembly by 696,519 votes to 197,310. This overwhelmingly negative vote was seen as an insurmountable obstacle to elected regional assemblies elsewhere in England outside London. On 8 November, Deputy Prime Minister
John Prescott
told the House of Commons
he would not move orders for the other two regions within the effective time limit of June 2005 permitted by the Act.
The no vote by the North East also affected the Labour Government's attempt to address the West Lothian question
, because the government had canvassed regional assemblies as a partial solution to this Question.
The English Regions Network (ERN) is the umbrella organisation for England's eight partnership Regional Assemblies. While the London Assembly works with ERN on some issues it is not a full member of the Network.
John Prescott
presented a Draft Regional Assemblies Bill to Parliament in July 2004. The bill outlined the structure of the proposed assemblies and defined their powers.
The draft bill proposed the following structure:
The draft bill would have given the assemblies the following powers:
will be given "executive responsibility for developing the single regional strategy".
In practical terms, the Regional Assemblies will be abolished in 2010 with their executive functions transferring to the Regional Development Agencies. Local authorities will be given an increased role in scrutiny at the regional level including scrutiny of Regional Strategies and the RDAs through participation in new Local Authority Leaders' Boards which will be established in each region. The two bodies will now jointly produce new single regional strategies, with Ministers exercising an oversight function.
The first Local Authority Leaders' Board, 4NW, was established in July 2008.
In June 2010, the new Conservative
-LibDem coalition government
announced plans to remove funding from the new boards and to remove their statutory functions. The boards may continue as voluntary associations of council leaders.
, there was opposition to the South West Regional Assembly
and the South West Regional Development Agency. A campaign for a Cornish Assembly
has been running since July 2000, and attracted the support of a petition signed by 50,000 Cornish residents and visitors, which was presented to 10 Downing Street
on 12 December 2001. The campaign has the support of all five Cornish
Liberal Democrats
MPs, Mebyon Kernow
and others; they stated that the SW regional assembly was undemocratic and unaccountable, and believed Cornwall should be able to take decisions
about local services in its own directly elected and accountable assembly. Cornwall Council was established as a unitary local authority
on 1 April 2009.
in May 2005, the concept of city regions
has gained currency in academic, policy and government circles, with several think tanks pushing the idea as a viable alternative to elected regional assemblies. However, opinion is divided on the question of whether to impose new city regional structures from above or to allow existing elected bodies to come together on a more informal voluntary basis.
, the minor English Democrats party and several Conservative Party
MPs, see a Devolved English parliament
as another alternative to Regional Assemblies. They believe that rather than breaking up the historic nation of England, it should be preserved - with its own Parliament similar to that of the Scottish Parliament
- and that this is the only way the West Lothian question
can be resolved while maintaining the United Kingdom.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
were a group of indirectly elected regional bodies established originally under the name Regional Chambers by the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998. They were abolished on 31 March 2010 and replaced by Local Authority Leaders’ Board
Local Authority Leaders’ Board
Local authority leaders' boards are voluntary associations of council leaders that have been established in England following the abolition of regional assemblies established in 1998 by the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998. The establishment of the boards was part of the UK Government's...
s. These changes did not affect the directly elected London Assembly
London Assembly
The London Assembly is an elected body, part of the Greater London Authority, that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power, with a two-thirds majority, to amend the mayor's annual budget. The assembly was established in 2000 and is headquartered at City Hall on the south...
, which was established by separate legislation as part of the Greater London Authority
Greater London Authority
The Greater London Authority is the top-tier administrative body for Greater London, England. It consists of a directly elected executive Mayor of London, currently Boris Johnson, and an elected 25-member London Assembly with scrutiny powers...
.
Role
Their original defined role was to channel regionalRegions of England
In England, the region is the highest tier of sub-national division used by central Government. Between 1994 and 2011, the nine regions had an administrative role in the implementation of UK Government policy, and as the areas covered by elected bodies...
opinions to the business-led Regional Development Agencies
Regional Development Agency
In the United Kingdom, a regional development agency is a non-departmental public body established for the purpose of development, primarily economic, of one of England's Government Office regions. There is one RDA for each of the NUTS level 1 regions of England...
. Their role later included scrutinising their regional development agency; integrating policy development and enhancing partnership working at the regional level across the social, economic and environmental policy agenda; as well as carrying out a wide range of advocacy and consultancy roles with UK government bodies and the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
; but their public profile was low. Each acted as a Regional Planning Body with a duty to formulate a Regional Spatial Strategy
Regional Spatial Strategy
Regional spatial strategies provided regional level planning frameworks for the regions of England outside London. They were introduced in 2004...
including Regional Transport Strategy, replacing the planning function of county councils.
Election
Eight of the nine English regional assemblies were not directly elected. About two-thirds of assembly members are appointees from the countyMetropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England
Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of subdivisions of England used for the purposes of local government outside Greater London. As originally constituted, the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties each consisted of multiple districts, had a county council and...
and district councils and unitary authorities
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
in each region
Regions of England
In England, the region is the highest tier of sub-national division used by central Government. Between 1994 and 2011, the nine regions had an administrative role in the implementation of UK Government policy, and as the areas covered by elected bodies...
, the remaining one-third are appointees from other regional interest groups. The exception is the London Assembly
London Assembly
The London Assembly is an elected body, part of the Greater London Authority, that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power, with a two-thirds majority, to amend the mayor's annual budget. The assembly was established in 2000 and is headquartered at City Hall on the south...
, which has 25 directly elected members. Its role is defined in the Greater London Authority Act 1999
Greater London Authority Act 1999
The Greater London Authority Act 1999 is the Act of Parliament that established the Greater London Authority, the London Assembly and the Mayor of London....
.
The regional assemblies
There was some inconsistency in the naming of the individual assemblies. They were:- East of England Regional AssemblyEast of England Regional AssemblyThe East of England Regional Assembly was the regional assembly for the East of England region of the United Kingdom. It was based at Flempton, near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. The assembly was created as a voluntary regional chamber in 1998 by the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998. The first...
(abolished March 2010) - East Midlands Regional AssemblyEast Midlands Regional AssemblyThe East Midlands Regional Assembly was a regional assembly for the East Midlands region of the United Kingdom.It was based at Melton.-History:...
(abolished March 2010) - North East AssemblyNorth East AssemblyNorth East Assembly was the regional assembly for the North East England region of the United Kingdom. It was abolished in March 2009 with its functions being transferred to One NorthEast, the Regional Development Agency, and the Association of North East Councils, the Local Authority Leaders’...
(abolished March 2009) - North West Regional AssemblyNorth West Regional AssemblyThe North West Regional Assembly was the regional assembly for the North West England region of the United Kingdom. It was based at Wigan, in Greater Manchester. It was abolished in July 2008.-Creation and functions:...
(abolished June 2008) - South East England Regional AssemblySouth East England Regional AssemblySouth East England Regional Assembly was the regional assembly for the South East England region of the United Kingdom . Regional Assemblies are described in the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 as "Regional Chambers" and their function of consultation is shown in Section 8 of the Act...
(abolished March 2009) - South West Regional AssemblySouth West Regional AssemblyThe South West Regional Assembly was the regional assembly for the South West region of England, established in 1999.It was wound up in December 2008, and its functions taken on by the Strategic Leaders' Board, the executive arm of the newly established South West Councils. Cllr. Angus Campbell,...
(abolished May 2009) - West Midlands Regional AssemblyWest Midlands Regional AssemblyThe West Midlands Regional Assembly was the regional assembly for the West Midlands region of England, established in 1999. It was based in Birmingham...
(abolished March 2010) - Yorkshire and Humber AssemblyYorkshire and Humber AssemblyYorkshire and Humber Assembly was the regional assembly for the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It closed on 31 March 2009. The responsibilities of the assembly were assumed by a Joint Regional Board consisting of members of Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency, and Local...
(abolished March 2009)
The London Assembly
London Assembly
The London Assembly is an elected body, part of the Greater London Authority, that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power, with a two-thirds majority, to amend the mayor's annual budget. The assembly was established in 2000 and is headquartered at City Hall on the south...
was established as a directly elected body by separate legislation and is part of the Greater London Authority
Greater London Authority
The Greater London Authority is the top-tier administrative body for Greater London, England. It consists of a directly elected executive Mayor of London, currently Boris Johnson, and an elected 25-member London Assembly with scrutiny powers...
. It continues to exist after the abolition of the eight partnership Regional Assemblies.
Each assembly corresponded to a region of England
Regions of England
In England, the region is the highest tier of sub-national division used by central Government. Between 1994 and 2011, the nine regions had an administrative role in the implementation of UK Government policy, and as the areas covered by elected bodies...
:
Plans for elected assemblies
In May 2002, the UK government published a White PaperWhite paper
A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps solve a problem. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions, and are often requested and used in politics, policy, business, and technical fields. In commercial use, the term has also come to refer to...
Your Region, Your Choice outlining its plans for the possible establishment of Elected Regional Assemblies. These assemblies were to be responsible for regional strategies dealing with sustainable development, economic development, spatial planning
Spatial planning
Spatial planning refers to the methods used by the public sector to influence the distribution of people and activities in spaces of various scales. Discrete professional disciplines which involve spatial planning include land use planning, urban planning, regional planning, transport planning and...
, transport, waste, housing, culture (including tourism) and biodiversity. They would be funded primarily by central government grant, with powers to raise additional funds from a precept on the council tax
Council tax
Council Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
.
The Assemblies were expected to be elected by an Additional Member System
Mixed member proportional representation
Mixed-member proportional representation, also termed mixed-member proportional voting and commonly abbreviated to MMP, is a voting system originally used to elect representatives to the German Bundestag, and nowadays adopted by numerous legislatures around the world...
similar to those used for the London Assembly
London Assembly
The London Assembly is an elected body, part of the Greater London Authority, that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power, with a two-thirds majority, to amend the mayor's annual budget. The assembly was established in 2000 and is headquartered at City Hall on the south...
, the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
and the National Assembly for Wales
National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
. The Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Act 2003
Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Act 2003
The Regional Assemblies Act 2003 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Its core provision was to allow the Deputy Prime Minister to make orders for referendums in each of the Regions of England on the question of whether they wish to have an elected regional assembly...
made provisions for referendums to be held to create such assemblies, and to simplify the structure of Local Government where this is done. Three such referendums were planned, for the regions of North East
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
and North West England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
and Yorkshire and the Humber
Yorkshire and the Humber
Yorkshire and the Humber is one of the nine regions of England and formally one of the government office regions. It covers most of the historic county of Yorkshire, along with the part of northern Lincolnshire that was, from 1974 to 1996, within the former shire county of Humberside. The...
.
On 12 February 2004, Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford
Nick Raynsford
Wyvill Richard Nicolls Raynsford , known as Nick Raynsford, is a British Labour Party politician. A government minister from 1997 to 2005, he has been the Member of Parliament for Greenwich & Woolwich since 1997, having previously been MP for Greenwich from 1992 to 1997, and for Fulham from 1986...
announced that elected Assemblies would be able to direct local authorities to refuse strategic planning applications that are not in the region's best interest. They would be able to look across local boundary constraints and ensure planning decisions are made with region-wide interests taken into account. On 8 July 2004 it was announced that the referendums would be held on 4 November (see Northern England referendums, 2004
Northern England referendums, 2004
The Northern England devolution referendums were referendums starting with the North East region of England, in the United Kingdom, on 4 November 2004. Dubbed by the government the Great North Vote, the referendum proposed that the region should have an elected regional assembly...
) but on 2 July Raynsford announced that only the North East England vote would go ahead on that date. This region was chosen because the government thought it was the most likely to approve the proposal, but the voters rejected the assembly by 696,519 votes to 197,310. This overwhelmingly negative vote was seen as an insurmountable obstacle to elected regional assemblies elsewhere in England outside London. On 8 November, Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a senior member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not a permanent position, existing only at the discretion of the Prime Minister, who may appoint to other offices...
John Prescott
John Prescott
John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
told the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
he would not move orders for the other two regions within the effective time limit of June 2005 permitted by the Act.
The no vote by the North East also affected the Labour Government's attempt to address the West Lothian question
West Lothian question
The West Lothian question refers to issues concerning the ability of Members of Parliament from constituencies in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to vote on matters that only affect people living in England...
, because the government had canvassed regional assemblies as a partial solution to this Question.
The English Regions Network (ERN) is the umbrella organisation for England's eight partnership Regional Assemblies. While the London Assembly works with ERN on some issues it is not a full member of the Network.
Structure and powers of the proposed assemblies
The Deputy Prime MinisterDeputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a senior member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not a permanent position, existing only at the discretion of the Prime Minister, who may appoint to other offices...
John Prescott
John Prescott
John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
presented a Draft Regional Assemblies Bill to Parliament in July 2004. The bill outlined the structure of the proposed assemblies and defined their powers.
The draft bill proposed the following structure:
- The assembly would be a body corporate with a distinct legal indetity.
- Each assembly would be composed of between 25 and 35 assembly members elected by the additional member systemMixed member proportional representationMixed-member proportional representation, also termed mixed-member proportional voting and commonly abbreviated to MMP, is a voting system originally used to elect representatives to the German Bundestag, and nowadays adopted by numerous legislatures around the world...
. - The assembly would select one member as the Chairman and another as Deputy Chairman to preside over its debates.
- The assembly would have an Executive (cabinet) composed of a Leader and between two and six Executive Members.
The draft bill would have given the assemblies the following powers:
- Promotion of economic development
- Promotion of social development
- Promote health, safety and security of the community
- Reduce health inequalities
- Enhance individual participation in society
- Improve the availability of good housing
- Improve skills and the availability of training
- Improve the availability of cultural and recreational activities
- Improvement and protection of the environment
- Additional functions and duties that the Secretary of State thinks appropriate
Abolition and replacement
On 17 July 2007 the UK government published the Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration. The review brought forward the Government's plans to alter the structure of regional governance in England known as the Single Regional Strategy. The impact of the review will be that the "Regional Assemblies in their current form and function will not continue" and that the Regional Development AgenciesRegional Development Agency
In the United Kingdom, a regional development agency is a non-departmental public body established for the purpose of development, primarily economic, of one of England's Government Office regions. There is one RDA for each of the NUTS level 1 regions of England...
will be given "executive responsibility for developing the single regional strategy".
In practical terms, the Regional Assemblies will be abolished in 2010 with their executive functions transferring to the Regional Development Agencies. Local authorities will be given an increased role in scrutiny at the regional level including scrutiny of Regional Strategies and the RDAs through participation in new Local Authority Leaders' Boards which will be established in each region. The two bodies will now jointly produce new single regional strategies, with Ministers exercising an oversight function.
Local Authority Leaders' Boards
Following the abolition of the Regional Assemblies, there are plans to establish smaller Local Authority Leaders' Boards for each region which will take over responsibilities for scrutiny of RDAs and Single Regional Plans.The first Local Authority Leaders' Board, 4NW, was established in July 2008.
In June 2010, the new Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
-LibDem coalition government
Cameron Ministry
David Cameron is Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, after being invited by Queen Elizabeth II to form a new government after the resignation as Prime Minister of Gordon Brown on 11 May 2010. Leading a coalition government formed by the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats, the coalition...
announced plans to remove funding from the new boards and to remove their statutory functions. The boards may continue as voluntary associations of council leaders.
The leader's boards
- East of England Local Government AssociationEast of England Local Government AssociationThe East of England Local Government Association is an association of council leaders form the East of England Region of England. It was established in April 2010 following the abolition of the East of England Regional Assembly...
- East Midlands Councils
- Association of North East CouncilsAssociation of North East CouncilsThe Association of North East Councils is a partnership body made up of representatives of local authorities in North East England. In April 2009 it assumed the role of the regional Local Authority Leaders’ Board following the abolition of the North East Assembly. -External links:**...
- North West Regional Leaders Board
- South East England Councils
- South West CouncilsSouth West CouncilsSouth West Councils is an association of council leaders from the South West region of England. It was established in April 2010 following the abolition of the South West Regional Assembly....
- West Midlands Councils
- Local Government Yorkshire and HumberLocal Government Yorkshire and HumberLocal Government Yorkshire and Humber is the partnership of local authorities, including fire, police and national park authorities, across Yorkshire and Humber...
Cornish Assembly
In CornwallCornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, there was opposition to the South West Regional Assembly
South West Regional Assembly
The South West Regional Assembly was the regional assembly for the South West region of England, established in 1999.It was wound up in December 2008, and its functions taken on by the Strategic Leaders' Board, the executive arm of the newly established South West Councils. Cllr. Angus Campbell,...
and the South West Regional Development Agency. A campaign for a Cornish Assembly
Cornish Assembly
The Cornish Assembly is a proposed devolved regional assembly for Cornwall in the United Kingdom along the lines of the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly.-Overview:...
has been running since July 2000, and attracted the support of a petition signed by 50,000 Cornish residents and visitors, which was presented to 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....
on 12 December 2001. The campaign has the support of all five Cornish
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
MPs, Mebyon Kernow
Mebyon Kernow
Mebyon Kernow is a left-of-centre political party in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It primarily campaigns for devolution to Cornwall in the form of a Cornish Assembly, as well as social democracy and environmental protection.MK was formed as a pressure group in 1951, and contained as members activists...
and others; they stated that the SW regional assembly was undemocratic and unaccountable, and believed Cornwall should be able to take decisions
Cornish self-government movement
Cornish nationalism is an umbrella term that refers to a cultural, political and social movement based in Cornwall, the most southwestern part of the island of Great Britain, which has for centuries been administered as part of England, within the United Kingdom...
about local services in its own directly elected and accountable assembly. Cornwall Council was established as a unitary local authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
on 1 April 2009.
Merseyside Assembly
In July 2004, a five Merseyside MPs, lead by George Howarth MP, launched a Manifesto for Merseyside which proposed a Merseyside Assembly, which would take a form similar to the existing London Assembly. As well as the five Merseyside boroughs, the proposals also included the Cheshire authorities of Halton and Ellesmere Port / Neston. The main argument was that the North West was too large and did not represent a cultural or economic area; something Merseyside did better.City regions
Since the General ElectionUnited Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
in May 2005, the concept of city regions
City region (United Kingdom)
A city region is a pilot administrative division currently being developed in England.-Background:City region is a concept used by economists and urban planners to denote a metropolitan area and its hinterland, usually divided administratively but with shared resources and markets...
has gained currency in academic, policy and government circles, with several think tanks pushing the idea as a viable alternative to elected regional assemblies. However, opinion is divided on the question of whether to impose new city regional structures from above or to allow existing elected bodies to come together on a more informal voluntary basis.
Devolved English Parliament
The Campaign for an English ParliamentCampaign for an English Parliament
The Campaign for an English Parliament is a pressure group which seeks the establishment of a devolved English parliament. Some members of the CEP were instrumental in the formation of the English Democrats Party in 2002.-Establishment:...
, the minor English Democrats party and several Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MPs, see a Devolved English parliament
Devolved English parliament
A devolved English parliament or assembly, giving separate decision-making powers to representatives for voters in England similar to the representation given by the National Assembly for Wales, Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly, is currently a growing issue in the politics of...
as another alternative to Regional Assemblies. They believe that rather than breaking up the historic nation of England, it should be preserved - with its own Parliament similar to that of the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
- and that this is the only way the West Lothian question
West Lothian question
The West Lothian question refers to issues concerning the ability of Members of Parliament from constituencies in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to vote on matters that only affect people living in England...
can be resolved while maintaining the United Kingdom.
See also
- Regional ministerRegional ministerIn England, regional ministers were appointed from 2007 on a part-time basis as part of the Government of the United Kingdom. Each minister had other departmental responsibilities, as well as specific responsibilities for one of the English regions...
s - Historical and alternative regions of EnglandHistorical and alternative regions of EnglandEngland is divided into a number of different regional schemes for various purposes. Since the creation of the Government Office Regions in 1994 and their adoption for statistical purposes in 1999, some historical regional schemes have become obsolete...
- List of England-related topics