The UK Constitution

Devolution of Wales
As is well demonstrated in Madzimbamuto v Lardner-Burke, the English parliament is quite willing to try and control anything even if there's no chance it will be obeyed. And as the omnipresent Lord Denning once said, "Once freedom is given, it cannot be taken away". Which is true except in exceptional circumstances like those when the Northern Irish Assembly was suspended from 2002-2006.

The Differences between Scotland and Wales
In 1997, under their manifesto, the Labour government put two referendums to the people of Scotland. Should Scotland have its own devolved parliament and should said parliament have tax varying powers?

The results were a pretty strong - and not surprising - yes. And so the Scottish parliament was created and lots of arguements such as the West Lothian Question arose. But oh well, they're free.

The Welsh also had a referendum that year, but the results were far more con-commital (the cheese-toastie principle) with barely a majority of the turned-out populus being in favour.

This is what most likely explains the differences between the devolved powers of Scotland and Wales. The welsh have fewer powers (only administrative currently, although it seems very likely that legislative powers will follow shortly) whereas scotland have administrative, legislative and tax-varying powers.

The Scotland Act 1998 has also been unchanged since it was ena

cted and they generally seem to have a greater degree of independence. The original Government of Wales Act of 1998 though has been significantly changed, varied and almost completely repealed and replaced by the (superbly written) Government of Wales Act 2006.

History of Welsh Devolution
After the initial GOWA, the Welsh Assembly was set up. This was a single body that was both the executive and legislature and it only had powers to create secondary legislation. But FULL respect to the welsh assembly government, they may have had restrictive powers but they put them to incredibly effective use. The idea of a combined executive and legislative was so unusual to british politcians that the welsh assembly effectively separated them iteself

It also used its secondary legislative powers to create many statutory instuments and manage to forge distinctly different policy and law.

After this it was decided that the welsh assembly needed more powers and thus the Richard Commision was set up to look at possible reviews to the GOWA. It recommended:


 * A further separation of powers
 * Improved scrutiny
 * Primary legislative powers
 * More members (from 60 to 80).

The government white paper that was later to become the GOWA 2006 followed these recommendations, apart from increasing the number of assembly of members, but it did additionally change the electoral system.

GOWA 2006
The welsh devolved bodies are the National Assembly of Wales (the legislative body) and the Welsh Assembly Government (which consists of civil servants and administrators). The cabinet is the overlap in the Venn diagram of these two.

The Assembly


 * 60 AM
 * An election every 4 years (first thursday in march?)
 * Functions as a legislative body and a democratic check.

Welsh Assembly Government


 * The Cabinet government made up of the first minister, a cabinet of twelve, a counsel general (law person) and Deputy welsh ministers.
 * Contains 40 AM, and can install a vote of no confidence in the government.
 * Has the power to make statutory instruments.

Elections


 * Everyone in wales gets two votes: one for constituency and another for the region.
 * Constituency: 40 of the 60 AM, act similar to MPs and elected by FPTP.
 * Regional: 20 AM, elected by PR from the 5 regions. Ensures better democracy.

Trivia
The Welsh government is the only one in the world constitutionally bound to consider environmental and sustainability issues.

The afformentioned regional PR could (possibly) have an influence on the Westminster parliament in the future.

Although the WA doesn't currently have primary legislative powers, it is expected to hold a referendum on the issue by June '10.