Devolution Hub
This hub showcases evidence-led insights from social science research to offer informed perspectives on devolved and sub-national government in the UK.
2026 is a critical year for devolution in the UK. Scotland will hold elections to Holyrood with the result arguably less predictable than any time since 2007. The Senedd will hold elections on new constituencies and under a new voting system with Welsh Labour widely expected to lose its dominance in Wales for the first time in a hundred years. In England, the devolution white paper will progress its way through the Union Parliament, fundamentally changing the landscape of mayoralties and combined authorities. And in Northern Ireland, we can expect a ramping up of political rhetoric ahead of Stormont elections in 2027.
The Campaign for Social Science Devolution Hub will seek to shine a light on these issues not just individually across the four nations, but also by asking how the different polities across the UK might learn from each other, and whether the inconsistencies of the UK’s devolution map are an inherent strength or a challenge for a harmonious union of regions and nations. Through written contributions, webinars and in-person events, drawing on expertise from Campaign supporters, learned societies from across social science disciplines, and others, we will garner the insights of leading social scientists on these important issues.
Event: What can the four UK nations learn from each other on health policy?
Wednesday 15 April 2026, 1pm-2pm, online
On the eve of national elections in Scotland and Wales, and a year out from elections in Northern Ireland, we bring together health policy experts from all four UK nations to consider the progress, barriers, and opportunities for health policy, and to ask how the four nations can draw on each other’s experiences.
Forthcoming events
We have a range of events, both online and in-person, coming up exploring devolution in the UK.
How have the four UK nations sought to tackle child poverty through devolved social security and welfare? And what might they learn from each other?
As part of the Campaign for Social Science’s 2026 series on devolution, we look specifically at how the four different governments of the UK have dealt with the policy challenges of child poverty. This webinar, jointly organised with the Safety Nets project, draws on expertise from social science researchers across the UK to offer insights on different policy interventions, different contexts, and different outcomes to consider what lessons might be learned. Our panel will shine a lens on different approaches to social security for parents with dependent children, asking what the four nations can learn from each other after 27 years of different (and sometimes radically divergent) approaches to issues around child poverty. Chaired by Professor Mairi Spowage, Professor of Practice and Director of the Fraser of Allander Institute, University of Strathclyde, our speakers are: Professor Ruth Patrick, Professor in Social and Public Policy (Urban Studies & Social Policy) at the University of Glasgow; Dr Ciara Fitzpatrick, Senior Lecturer at Ulster University School of Law and the Social Justice Institute; Dr Hayley Bennett, Lecturer in Social Policy, University of Edinburgh; Dr Jed Meers, Senior Lecturer at York Law School, University of York; and Dr Sioned Pearce, Lecturer in Social Policy, Cardiff University. One of Safety Nets’ Experts by Experience will also share their insights on this topic.
Photo Credit: Ben Elliott on Unsplash
OnlineRegister here
Can increasing happiness and improving wellbeing create economic growth?
This webinar is presented as part of our series on Achieving Good Growth in the UK, but the perspectives on Wales and Scotland, and their policies relating to wellbeing, also make this session highly relevant to our Devolution Hub. The webinar explores international examples where, to varying degrees, governments have placed a special importance on happiness and wellbeing as part of their economic strategies. Why have they been doing this? How have they approached it? How have they evaluated it? What have been the results so far? Might happiness and wellbeing measurably contribute to economic growth rather than existing in isolation from it or even standing in its way? This event will explore much of what social science research is telling us about the relationship between happiness and wellbeing and economic growth and we’ll explore international examples including Scotland, Wales, Bhutan, and others from across the OECD countries. Chaired by Tim Leunig FAcSS (Chief Economist, NESTA), our speakers are Lara Fleischer (Head of the Well-being Data Insights and Policy Practice Team of the OECD WISE Centre), Nigel O’Leary (deputy director of WELMERC and co-director at WISERD), Gary Gillespie (Chief Economist, Scottish Government) and Sabina Alkire FAcSS (Director, OPHI at University of Oxford).
OnlineRegister hereBlog: The devolution of health in England
In this piece, Phil Hope, of the Health Devolution Commission, explores the changing landscape of power and accountability for the commissioning and delivering of health and social care services in England – the devolution of health – tracing the journey so far and looking ahead to some of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Phil makes it clear that social science has a critical role to play in the next phase.
Comment and analysis
Evidence-based commentary from leading social scientists offering perspectives and evidence-based ideas on how the different polities of the UK might learn from each other.
