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International relations - Relations inside Great Britain

4 important questions on International relations - Relations inside Great Britain

To what two institutions have the 1998 referendums in Scotland and Wales led?

The referendums led to the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and of the Welsh Assembly. However there is a substantial difference in the amount of power they have. The Scottish Parliament has considerable power over internal Scottish affairs, but hardly any or none over defence, foreign policy or economic policy, while the Welsh Assembly's powers are much more limited (in fact, not much greater than some local government bodies in England).

What is the relation between Scotland and the rest of the UK?

From the 1980s it became clear that the Scottish wanted either self-government within the UK or complete independence. A referendum decided in 1999 that the Scottish Parliament was reborn. The largest party is the Scottish National Party, which wants complete independence but with Queen Elizabeth as the head of state.

What is the relation between Wales and the rest of the UK?

They are anglicized and fully incorporated into the English government structure. Nationalism is felt mostly in the central and western parts of the country. In Wales, there is a growing support for self-government too. This led to the existence of the Welsh Assembly. They don't have the same powers as the Scottish Parliament does.