The United Kingdom

Abstract

The administrative structure of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom (UK) is summarised, for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (which are NUTS 1 units—Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, Level 1), as well as the Crown Dependencies of the Channel Islands and Isle of Man. Devolution to the country level was established in 1999, with a process of slowly increasing devolved powers continuing. The discussion emphasises the UK as a regionally decentralised unitary state, with some tendencies towards a more federal organisation. Within countries, regions are administrative and not elected entities (except in London). Local government is historically distinct from most of Europe by operating on a ‘dual’ system with a joint elected and administrative executive. However, since 1999 elected executive mayors have emerged in London and some other ‘city-regions’. The UK is also distinct in having very large local units, which have progressively decreased in number by combination into unitary county or district authorities since 1995. Counties are the NUTS 2 level. UK local government has most of their finance derived from central government grants; there is no fundamental law of local self-government in the UK.