England and the centre

Central government in the UK has been organized both by function and territory. While many of the territorial issues dealt with at the centre have now been devolved, a new, English, territorial dimension has emerged which is serving further to undermine the functional basis of central government. Devolution has had a powerful impact on England at the centre. Whitehall has come to terms with devolution unevenly, though with a growing appreciation that parts of Whitehall now have an essentially English focus. Policy 'spillovers' from the Scottish Parliament in particular have begun to impact on the policy agendas of England-focused Whitehall departments. An intensification of the debate on the Barnett formula has heightened a new sense of territorial competition for resources. These developments are set to enhance territorial tensions in the operation of the centre.