Local Government in Scotland after Devolution: the Lessons from Canada
The creation of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Executive in 1999 has had a dramatic impact on many features of political life in Scotland. Local government is one element of the political landscape affected by this change. In the pre-devolution period, local government?s structure, responsibilities, financing, and working practices were determined largely by the UK central government. Following devolution, these decisions are now mainly within the remit of the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Executive. The paper first examines the constitutional position of local government in Scotland following the creation of the Scottish Parliament. This position is then compared with that of municipal government in Ontario. The paper then assesses what the example of Ontario, combined with the track record of the Scottish Parliament and Executive with respect to local government, indicates about the Scottish context and the future role of Scottish local government.
