Theresa May’s new devolution vision

THERESA MAY signalled a new approach to devolution in her Scottish conference speech.

Gone are the days of “devolve and forget”.

In its place, she wants to see a new sense of “collective responsibility” among all levels of the governments of the UK.

It was former Scottish Secretary Lord Lang who in May last year condemned the “devolve and forget” attitude, calling on the UK Government to engage with the “devolved administrations across the whole breadth of government policy”.

Many ministers in devolved governments would welcome the idea of having greater influence on Brexit negotiations, immigration policy and taxation.

But they would be less enthusiastic if the UK Government had regular recommendations about the policies they pursue. Certainly, David Cameron’s regular attacks on the Welsh Labour Government’s stewardship of NHS Wales did not win him fans on the left.

Mrs May went to Scotland at a time when speculation is rife that the SNP First Minister is about to call for a second independence referendum. Scotland faces being taken out of the EU against the wishes of the majority of its citizens and the UK will not remain a member of the single market.

Rather than promise another wave of powers for the Scottish Parliament in an effort to satisfy the appetite for greater selfgovernment, Mrs May took a very different approach to her conference speech. She chose this moment to make it clear that she does not see the role of Prime Minister as being merely First Minister of England; she was adamant she had a UK-wide vision.

“I am just as concerned that young people in Dundee get a good start in life and receive the education they need to reach their full potential as I am about young people in Doncaster and Dartford,” she said.

In other words, education may be a devolved responsibility but don’t think I won’t take a keen interest in it.

This decidedly gutsy approach continued when she defended the role of the UK Government, stating: “As the Government serving the whole United Kingdom, formed in a Parliament drawn from the whole United Kingdom, the UK Government exercises a responsibility on behalf of the whole UK that transcends party politics and encompasses all aspects of our national life. While fully respecting, and indeed strengthening, the devolution settlements and the devolved administrations across the UK, we must unashamedly assert this fundamental responsibility on our part.”

This was a rejection of the idea that Westminster is becoming the English Parliament.

The union is already under great strain and the presence of different parties in power in each of the governments makes the potential for firefights all the greater. But better cooperation in pursuit of a common good is preferable to turf wars and “silo” thinking – yet only a true respect agenda will achieve this. The Western Mail newspaper is published by Media Wales a subsidiary company of Trinity Mirror PLC, which is a member of IPSO, the Independent Press Standards Organisation. The entire contents of The Western Mail are the copyright of Media Wales Ltd. It is an offence to copy any of its contents in any way without the company’s permission. If you require a licence to copy parts of it in any way or form, write to the Head of Finance at Six Park Street. The recycled paper content of UK newspapers in 2014 was 78.5%