Scottish devolution has failed
From our UK edition
When the Scottish parliament was established in 1999, it was intended to represent the best of modern governance. The Labour architects of devolution, Donald Dewar foremost among them, argued that giving Scotland its own legislature would bring decision-making closer to the people, address chronic policy failures, and strengthen the Union by removing the grievances that fuelled nationalism. Lord George Robertson even suggested the new settlement would 'kill nationalism stone dead'. That was a prospect too tempting for Tony Blair, who sought to maintain Scotland’s status as a Labour electoral fortress. Attention on 7 May this year will largely focus on England’s local council elections.
