Introduction: Political Opposition in a Multi-Level Context
| Author | Nicola McEwen,Nicole Bolleyer,Wilfried Swenden |
| Published date | 01 May 2012 |
| Date | 01 May 2012 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-856X.2011.00490.x |
| Subject Matter | Article |
Introduction: Political Opposition in a
Multi-level Context
Nicola McEwen, Wilfried Swenden and Nicole Bolleyer
This short introduction sets out the rationale for the special issue. It introduces the concepts of
intergovernmental relations (IGR) and party political incongruence which are central to the
analyses contained in the issue. It considers the nature and form of intergovernmental relations in
the early years of devolution, under conditions of predominant party congruence in the composition
of the central and sub-state governments. It then develops the hypothesised relationship between
party political incongruence and intergovernmental relations, focusing on the nature and structure
of IGR. It introduces the key questions to be addressed in the issue and each of the subsequent
contributions which explore this relationship in greater depth.
Keywords: intergovernmental; UK; devolution; parties
One of the traditional hallmarks of British parliamentary democracy has been its
adversarial character. Even within the context of today’s multiparty politics, politi-
cal debate is dominated by competition between government and opposition, with
the principal opposition party assuming the role of a shadow government. The
formation of a governing coalition between the Conservative party and the Liberal
Democrats has done little to alter this fundamental feature of British politics.
The adversarial character of British party politics is usually considered from a
horizontal, mono-level perspective, when the government faces opposition from
one or several parties in parliament. However, in multi-level systems, where power
is divided between central and sub-state governments, opposition can also be
played out vertically via intergovernmental relations (IGR), especially when gov-
ernments at different levels are led by distinct political parties (party incongruence).
The emergence of party political incongruence in the composition of central and
devolved governments, especially after the devolved elections of 2007, provides an
opportunity to examine whether the adversarial tradition of British politics has also
been evident in the intergovernmental arena. Hence, the key purpose of this special
issue is to examine the effect of party congruence and incongruence on the char-
acter and dynamics of intergovernmental relations in the context of UK devolution.
The term ‘intergovernmental relations’ captures ‘the working connections that tie
central governments to those constituent units that enjoy measures of independent
and inter-dependent political power, governmental control and decision-making’
(Agranoff 2004, 26).
Across multi-level states, IGR take place between governmental units of all types and
levels, from the municipal to the supranational level (e.g. Anderson 1960; Wright
doi: 10.1111/j.1467-856X.2011.00490.x BJPIR: 2012 VOL 14, 187–197
© 2012 The Authors. British Journal of Politics and International Relations © 2012
Political Studies Association
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