Debate: English Devolution and the Elected Mayor

Devolution in the United Kingdom has produced stable devolved administrations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Although these have at times been subject to considerable difficulties and indeed to bitter rancour, there is no political argument for their removal and a return to rule from Westminster. The missing element from this devolution settlement is England, a centralist polity where Parliament is the sole decision-maker (Fenwick, Citation2014). Some unsuccessful attempts at change have been made, in particular a proposal to establish elected regional assemblies championed by the then deputy prime minister, John Prescott, which was abandoned after the sole regional referendum on their introduction was decisively defeated in North-East England in 2004.