Arianna Giovannini

The Uneven Path of UK Devolution: Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Regionalism in England – Cornwall and the North-East Compared

Within the context of the devolution process in England, Cornwall and the North-East stand out in contrasting comparison. The North-East was given the opportunity to vote for a regional assembly, which it rejected in 2004, while the strong popular movement for an assembly in Cornwall was ignored by central government. This is reflected in the literature on the English question and regionalism in the UK, which focuses on the example of the North-East, and largely overlooks the grassroots support in Cornwall and the opportunities for understanding regionalism that this could provide. In this article, we explore why this might be the case, developing a comparison between the two areas in the context of the campaigns for setting up directly elected assemblies. We look at the territorial status of the two areas, how the respective campaigns were organised, the types of group involved, the motives that were driving activists, and each regions political significance to Labour. We find central control of the political agenda to be a key issue behind the failure of English regionalism.

Citizen participation and changing governance: cases of devolution in England

The current process of devolving powers within England constitutes a significant change of governance arrangements. This process of devolution has been widely criticised for including insufficient consultation. This paper assesses whether that criticism is fair. Modifying Archon Fung’s framework for the analysis of public participation mechanisms, we begin by considering whether the depth of public engagement has been limited. Then, by comparing these consultation practices with other examples (including one we have ourselves trialled in pilot experiments), we find that deeper forms of public engagement would have been both possible (though at some financial cost) and productive.

‘No regionalism please, we are Leghisti !’ The transformation of the Italian Lega Nord under the leadership of Matteo Salvini

ABSTRACT Whilst the Lega Nord has traditionally been defined as a regionalist populist party, since Matteo Salvini became its leader in 2013 it has undergone a process of profound ideological transformation. This article assesses this momentous change and the impact it could have on the future of the Lega, drawing on a content analysis of Salvini’s and the party’s Facebook posts, as well as interviews with regional leaders. It argues that, under Salvini’s personal style of leadership: (a) regionalism has been replaced by an empty form of nativist nationalism, which fails to address socio-economic issues related to the North–South divide; (b) populism remains central to the party’s strategic communication, but the EU has taken Rome’s place as the people’s ‘enemy’; (c) this ideological shift has paid-off at the 2018 general election, but is underpinned by latent fractures between the leader and regional representatives which could have profound implications in the future.

A Better Place.

This chapter situates the book’s analyses of the Northern Powerhouse, devolution and Northern economic development more generally within an emerging ‘politics of place’. It argues furthermore that a political economy of place is required to more fully understand the pursuit of economic development in the North by both local and national elites. The chapter distills the key lessons we can infer from the book, including the multiple and long-standing nature of development dilemmas in the North, the problematic framing of the North in national debates, the dysfunctional nature of economic governance in the North (and the messy relationship between devolution and existing institutional structures) and the damaging impact of tax reform on Northern cities and regions. The chapter ends by outlining a set of policy reforms designed to place Northern economic development on a more sustainable, progressive and democratic path, focusing on changes at the centre, and in centre–local relations, as well as at the local level.

The Uneven Governance of Devolution Deals in Yorkshire: Opportunities, Challenges and Local (Di)Visions

The devolution deals and Northern Powerhouse agenda were presented by George Osborne as the making of a ‘devolution revolution’ in the North of England. But while the signing of the ‘Devo Manc’ agreement has followed a rather smooth path, the Chancellor’s plan is developing in an uneven way across other parts of the North. In Yorkshire the situation seems to be particularly complex, and local authorities are taking very different approaches to devolution deals—none of which is without controversy. Drawing on the findings of interviews with key stakeholders, this chapter seeks to explore the emerging, complex and uneven governance of devolution deals in Yorkshire, assessing the prospects and challenges of the model of devolution currently on offer, and the implications this could have for the Northern Powerhouse.

Leadership, Carisma e Identità. Il caso dello Scottish National Party sotto la guida di Alex Salmond (Leadership, Charisma and Identity. The case of the Scottish National Party under the lead of Alex Salmond)

As many scholars have noted, in contemporary Western liberal democracies there is a growing trend towards the personalisation of party politics. In practice, this has coincided with the emergence of strong, often charismatic, leaders - which, in turn, has lead to an increasing «emptying» of ideological values and alignments within parties. This paper seeks to add to the current debate offering an analysis of a party that seems to counter such tendency: the Scottish National Party (SNP). By analysing the SNP under the lead of Alex Salmond, it will be argued that the presence of a strong and charismatic leadership can have «virtuous effects», strengthening rather than weakening a partys structures and values as well as its ability to govern.