United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, devolved government was created following simple majority referenda in Wales and Scotland in September 1997. In between 1998 and 1999, the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly were established by law. England was left un-devolved. In addition to the newly established legislatures of Wales and Scotland much spending is devolved to the councils and shires of the United Kingdom. In addition to taxes collected locally the government provides grants for services such as the police, fire service and ambulance service which are under the authority of local elected government.
Read more about this topic: Devolution
Famous quotes containing the words united and/or kingdom:
“Hearing, seeing and understanding each other, humanity from one end of the earth to the other now lives simultaneously, omnipresent like a god thanks to its own creative ability. And, thanks to its victory over space and time, it would now be splendidly united for all time, if it were not confused again and again by that fatal delusion which causes humankind to keep on destroying this grandiose unity and to destroy itself with the same resources which gave it power over the elements.”
—Stefan Zweig (18811942)
“He is a strong man who can hold down his opinion. A man cannot utter two or three sentences, without disclosing to intelligent ears precisely where he stands in life and thought, namely, whether in the kingdom of the senses and the understanding, or, in that of ideas and imagination, in the realm of intuitions and duty.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)