Wilfried Swenden, Senior Lecturer in Politics, and Nicola McEwen, Co-Director of the Institute of Governance, along with their colleague from Exeter University, Nicole Bolleyer, recently completed a highly successful seminar series on intergovernmental relations. The series of seminars, supported by the Economic and Social Research Council, examined the effects of party incongruence (i.e. differences between the party political composition of the Westminster and devolved governments) on the character and dynamics of intergovernmental relations (IGR) in the UK, drawing on comparisons from other countries with multi-level government.
We held a series of five workshops, investigating the distinctive themes of the institutionalisation of IGR processes, the role of the courts and civil service in IGR, the adaptations at the central level, the Europeanization of intergovernmental relations, and intergovernmental dynamics in climate change policy. Each of the seminars involved contributions from academics from the UK and beyond, as well as senior officials who practice IGR, including the (then) Director General, Devolution, in the UK Ministry of Justice, and officials responsible for IGR within each of the devolved administrations.
Our key findings will be published in two forthcoming special issues in the British Journal of Politics and International Relations and Comparative European Politics. A summary of conclusions from the first four seminars can be found in the three briefing papers below.
This page was published on 2 April 2011