Nicola McEwen

Nicola McEwen's picture
Professor
Nicola
McEwen
Organisation: 
University of Edinburgh
Phone Number: 
+44 (0)131 651 1831
Email Address: 
N.McEwen@ed.ac.uk
Biography: 

Nicola McEwen is a Professor of Politics at the University of Edinburgh, and Associate Director of the ESRC Centre on Constitutional Change (CCC). She was appointed ESRC Senior Scotland Fellow, exploring Scotland’s external and intergovernmental relations in the event of independence. This external dimension to the future of Scotland remains the focus of her research within the SCCC. A political scientist at Edinburgh since 2001, Nicola specialises in research on devolution, territorial politics and multi-level governance. Within these broad fields, her research has examined: nationalism and territorial politics; intergovernmental relations; public policy (especially social welfare and energy policy); parties and elections; and voting behaviour.

Her focus is primarily on Scotland, but often also addresses developments in similar ‘sub-state nations’, including Quebec, Catalonia, the Basque Country and Flanders. Nicola is also Associate Director of Research at Edinburgh’s School of Social and Political Science, and Managing Editor of the journal, Regional and Federal Studies, the leading European journal in the field of territorial politics.

She is a frequent contributor to radio, television and print news outlets, offering commentary on elections, government and policy, and the Scottish constitutional debate. Recent publications can be found at:

http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/staff/research/mcewen_nicola

Project Job Role: 
Co-Director, Centre on Constitutional Change
Expertise: 
Voting
independence
Devolution
Welfare
energy

History

Blog
View recent blog entries
Member for
5 years 7 months

Posts by this author:

The Withdrawal Agreement and Devolution

Disagreements between the UK, Welsh and Scottish Governments are about more than inter-party rivalry, says Nicola McEwen, they reflect a very real disagreement about how policy can be made - and by whom.    It is statement of the obvious to say that the fate of the draft Withdrawal Agreement is in s... Read more
Post type: Blog entry

The Borders of Brexit

Theresa May’s efforts to keep her DUP allies onside may, suggests Prof Nicola McEwen, end up easing Nicola Sturgeon’s path to independence following any subsequent referendum on the subject.    The SNP gathered for its 2018 conference at Glasgow’s SECC. As with the other party conferences, Brexit wa... Read more
Post type: Blog entry

Comment on MP's Report on Devolution Arrangements

The House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee issued its report ‘Devolution and Exiting the EU: reconciling differences and building strong relationships’.  Discussing its contents, Professor Nicola McEwen suggests that the Report includes some practical recommendat... Read more
Post type: Blog entry

Crisis, Headache or Sideshow?

Different political actors have responded to the decision by the Scottish Parliament to withhold its consent for the UK Government’s showpiece EU (Withdrawal) Bill in very different ways. Prof Nicola McEwen sifts the facts from the hyperbole and explains where we are and where we go from here.    Af... Read more
Post type: Blog entry

A Continuing Source of Disagreement

The devolved legislatures’ ‘continuity’ legislation prepares their statute books for Brexit in the event of an ongoing impasse with the UK Government over the so-called ‘power grab’ in the EU Withdrawal Bill. Professor Nicola McEwen suggests these ongoing discussions and debates provide insight into... Read more
Post type: Blog entry

Trust in a Time of Brexit

The fundamental issue with Clause 11 of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, which allows the UK parliament and government to retain competence in areas of devolved responsibility, is one of trust, says Nicola McEwen.    One of the primary purposes of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill is to convert existing EU law into... Read more
Post type: Blog entry

With or without you…? The EU Withdrawal Bill, the devolved institutions and legislative consent

The EU Withdrawal Bill passed its first parliamentary hurdle in the House of Commons on Monday night. On Tuesday, both the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government tabled legislative consent memorandums making clear their opposition to the Bill as it stands. Professor Nicola McEwen highlights th... Read more
Post type: Blog entry

Can UK intergovernmental relations be rebooted?

Posted orginally on the Academy of Government blog >> Brexit poses profound challenges for relations between the UK and devolved governments. But, can the lack of understanding and trust that characterised intergovernmental relations in the months before the election give way to more positive... Read more
Post type: Blog entry

Negotiating Brexit in a devolved state: The dynamics of intergovernmental relations

Theresa May has repeatedly declared her commitment to involving the devolved governments in the Brexit process. In this post, Nicola McEwen discusses the likely dynamics of Brexit negotiations between the UK’s four governments. She argues that if the intergovernmental process fails to give a meaning... Read more
Post type: Blog entry

Disunited Kingdom: Will Brexit spark the disintegration of the UK?

The vote to leave the European Union has ignited the debate about the future of the United Kingdom. Could Scotland be on the verge of independence? Nicola McEwen investigates.This article appeared originally in the September 2016 edition of Political Insight. For some time now, it has been difficult... Read more
Post type: Blog entry

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Latest blogs

  • Brexit, Devolution and the UK Internal Market

    19th February 2019
    Devolution; Brexit; Intergovernmental Relations

    Over the course of the UK’s preparations for withdrawing from the EU, the issue of the UK’s own internal market has emerged as an issue of concern, and one that has the potentially significant consequences for devolution. Dr Jo Hunt of Cardiff University examines the implications.

  • Territorial politics, identities and the constitution: setting Brexit in perspective

    12th February 2019
    Devolution; Brexit; Intergovernmental Relations

    CCC Fellow Professor Daniel Wincott of Cardiff University examines how Brexit processes have already reshaped territorial politics in the UK and changed its territorial constitution.

  • Hill Farming

    Agriculture Faces Uncertain Future after Brexit

    7th February 2019
    Devolution; Brexit; Intergovernmental Relations

    The future of agriculture policy across the United Kingdom after Brexit is uncertain and risky, according to a new paper by Professor Michael Keating of the Centre on Constitutional Change. Reforms of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy over recent years have shifted the emphasis from farming to the broader concept of rural policy. As member states have gained more discretion in applying policy, the nations of the UK have also diverged, according to local conditions and preferences.

  • The Repatriation of Competences in Climate and Energy Policy after Brexit

    4th February 2019
    Devolution; Brexit; Intergovernmental Relations

    In our latest report for the "Repatriation of Competences: Implications for Devolution" project, Professor Nicola McEwen and Dr Alexandra Remond examine how, in the longer term, Brexit poses significant risks for the climate and energy ambitions of the devolved nations. These include the loss of European Structural and Investment Funds targeted at climate and low carbon energy policies, from which the devolved territories have benefited disproportionately. European Investment Bank loan funding, which has financed high risk renewables projects, especially in Scotland, may also no longer be as accessible, while future access to research and innovation funding remains uncertain. The removal of the EU policy framework, which has incentivised the low carbon ambitions of the devolved nations may also result in lost opportunities.

  • Brexit game-playing reaches new levels of complexity

    1st February 2019
    British & Scottish Politics; EU; Brexit

    The outcome of the various Commons votes this week left certain only that the Government would either secure an amended deal and put it to a meaningful vote on Wednesday 13 February, or in the overwhelmingly likely absence of this make a further statement that day and table another amendable motion for the following day, the Groundhog Day that may lead to a ‘St Valentine’s Day Massacre’ for one side or the other. Richard Parry assesses the further two-week pause in parliamentary action on Brexit

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