A Family of Nations? Brexit, Devolution and the Union

一个国际大家庭？

基本信息

批准号：
ES/T000856/1
负责人：
Nicola McEwen
金额：
$ 58.26万
依托单位：
University of Edinburgh
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Fellowship
财政年份：
2019
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2019 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ES%2FT000856%2F1
关键词：
Family Nations Brexit Devolution Union

项目摘要

The project examines the impact of Brexit on relationships between the four nations/territories of the UK. Devolution was designed and developed within the context of the EU, and EU membership has been important in easing territorial relationships within the UK. The Brexit process is straining these relationships, and could mark a turning point in the system of multi-level government in the UK.Politicians often use the family as a metaphor when discussing territorial relationships. This project will draw upon ideas developed by sociologists to study relationships within families as a way of understanding and explaining dynamics in the relationships between governments and territories across the UK. The project aims to identify new tensions, opportunities and constraints. It examines the evolution of formal engagement and decision making between the UK and the devolved governments, but it tests the idea that these are conditioned by more informal interactions and the culture surrounding these. This includes the perceptions key players have about their role and the role of others, and the attitudes and behaviour they display. Relationships are studied in three sets of discussions provoked by Brexit: the UK's approach to EU negotiations; the negotiation and implementation of new trade deals; and the future of the UK 'internal market', which aims to avoid distortions in trade and competition once the UK is no longer subject to EU laws.The UK's exit from the EU coincides with the 20th anniversary of devolution. Brexit is posing big challenges for devolution, but it also offers an opportunity to reform the ways in which the governments and territories of the UK interact and work together. However, the project contends that opportunities for reform will be limited by five sets of constraints: (i) how the UK as a country, and the roles and responsibilities of its different governments, are understood among key players; (ii) the asymmetry, or unevenness, of devolution and decentralised government, including the lack of a distinctive national voice for England; (iii) pressures from the EU and the international community for the UK to speak with one voice in international negotiations and treaty-making; (iv) party political differences and competition between the UK and devolved governments; and (v) the politics of Scottish independence, especially in light of the expectation that Brexit will be the justification used by the Scottish First Minister to take steps towards a new independence referendum.The project benefits from a small comparative study of Australia and Canada, as two countries outside of the EU that have wrestled with how to share power between their federal and regional governments. These case studies will pay particular attention to how the territories work together to negotiate and implement trade deals, and to support trade and mobility within each of the countries. Brexit attracts a lot of media and public interest, but its effect on the territorial future of the UK is often neglected. This project aims to raise awareness of the challenges that Brexit has generated for the relationships between the governments and territories of the UK. A major focus will be to increase understanding of these issues among policy makers, supporting them in responding to the challenges, including with ideas for reform. The project will also raise awareness among the public by making use of digital communication including videos and other visual images, articles in newspapers, appearances on radio and TV news, and public events designed to helping citizens be more informed about and engaged in debates on the territorial and constitutional future of the UK.

该项目研究了英国脱欧对英国四个国家/地区之间关系的影响。权力下放是在欧盟的背景下设计和发展的，欧盟成员资格对于缓解英国境内的领土关系非常重要。英国脱欧进程正在使这些关系变得紧张，并可能标志着英国多级政府体系的转折点。政治家在讨论领土关系时经常使用家庭作为隐喻。该项目将借鉴社会学家提出的研究家庭内部关系的想法，以此作为理解和解释英国政府和地区之间关系动态的一种方式。该项目旨在识别新的紧张局势、机遇和限制。它研究了英国与权力下放政府之间正式交往和决策的演变，但它检验了这样一种观点，即这些交往和决策受到更多非正式互动和围绕这些互动的文化的制约。这包括关键参与者对自己的角色和他人的角色的看法，以及他们表现出的态度和行为。通过英国脱欧引发的三组讨论来研究关系：英国对欧盟谈判的态度；新贸易协议的谈判和实施；以及英国“内部市场”的未来，其目的是一旦英国不再受欧盟法律约束，避免贸易和竞争的扭曲。英国退出欧盟恰逢权力下放20周年。英国脱欧给权力下放带来了巨大挑战，但也提供了改革英国政府和地区互动和合作方式的机会。然而，该项目认为，改革机会将受到五组约束的限制：（i）主要参与者如何理解英国作为一个国家及其不同政府的角色和责任； (ii) 权力下放和权力下放政府的不对称或不平衡，包括英格兰缺乏独特的国家声音； (iii) 来自欧盟和国际社会的压力，要求英国在国际谈判和条约制定中发出统一声音； (iv) 英国与权力下放政府之间的政党政治分歧和竞争； (v) 苏格兰独立的政治，特别是考虑到英国脱欧将成为苏格兰首席部长采取措施进行新的独立公投的理由。该项目受益于对澳大利亚和加拿大的一项小型比较研究，作为欧盟以外的两个国家，它们一直在努力解决如何在联邦政府和地方政府之间分享权力。这些案例研究将特别关注各地区如何合作谈判和实施贸易协议，以及支持各国内部的贸易和流动。英国脱欧吸引了大量媒体和公众的兴趣，但其对英国领土未来的影响却常常被忽视。该项目旨在提高人们对英国脱欧给英国政府和领土之间关系带来的挑战的认识。主要重点是提高政策制定者对这些问题的理解，支持他们应对挑战，包括提出改革思路。该项目还将通过利用数字通信（包括视频和其他视觉图像、报纸文章、广播和电视新闻以及旨在帮助公民更多地了解并参与辩论的公共活动）来提高公众的认识。英国的领土和宪法的未来。