Devolution has caused a de facto decentralisation of the UK, although such arrangements as the Sewel Convention can be over turned by the Westminster government.
The UK remains de jure a unitary state in the legal sense but de facto operates as a decentralized polity with a number of constraints on sovereign authority in the UK Parliament. This chapter assesses the role devolution has played on the development of this de facto reality.
By placing Scottish devolution in context alongside developments in Northern Ireland and Wales, the chapter assesses some of the important aspects of devolution that have led to this new constitutional reality, such as the competencies of the Scottish Parliament and the Sewel Convention. The chapter also discusses the impact that Brexit is having on the UK territorial constitution.