#devolution

#devolution

Tony Blair believed his Labour government had defeated the threat of a breakup of the UK by delivering devolution to Wales and Scotland, newly released documents reveal. Rejecting calls in 2004 for the then-Welsh Assembly to have full law-making powers, he said voters in Wales and Scotland had "no appetite" for more powers and that his government had "lanced the boil of separatism". The then-prime minister made the comments during a significant government cabinet discussion on further devolution for Wales - the minutes of which have just been released.

Next year will be pivotal in British politics, and 7 May will be the point around which things pivot. Elections to local councils, the Scottish parliament and the Welsh Senedd will give millions of voters across the UK a chance to express party preferences. Their verdicts could imperil Labour and Conservative leaders. In Wales, Labour might be sent into opposition for the first time since devolution. Plaid Cymru and Reform UK are set to make substantial gains.

It is not fair that Wales is treated the way it is, and it is not fair that Welsh ministers are humiliated and we saw it this afternoon having to run to catch up because they don't know what's being said from London,

The government is set to postpone elections for newly created mayors in some parts of Southern England. Local government sources say two out of four areas expected to vote in May 2026 - Essex and the combined counties of Norfolk and Suffolk - will now do so at a later date. Opposition parties are calling for the elections to go ahead as planned, with shadow local government secretary James Cleverly accusing Labour of "subverting democracy".

No other European country has such a narrow base of proprietorship as Scotland. Half of all privately owned rural land is held by 421 people or entities. The roots of such disparities lie in the past. The 18th- and 19th-century Highland clearances emptied the glens and readied them for private takeover. On the continent, and eventually in England, the great estates were broken up by inheritance and land taxes. By comparison, Scotland is still feudal in scale.

In his speech on Saturday, Robinson is expected to renew his calls for greater co-operation between unionist parties. The East Belfast MP will say that "no party or personality should ever trump our shared strategic aims". "Under my leadership, we will be strong, but we will not be selfish," he will say in his speech. Pacemaker Robinson will again express support for being part of Northern Ireland's devolved government, saying "things happen" when DUP ministers hold office.