However as time has moved on the power shift has been more apparent as different parties have occupied the devolved parliaments and policy has differed from national government. We can see a great example of this when in 2011 the SNP secured a majority in the Scottish parliament. The policy of the Scottish parliament has been hugely different from the Westminster government. The two parliaments clashed over tuition fees as Scottish students will pay no fees where English students will pay £9,000 a year. This was embarrassing with the UK government and caused public anger. The UK government did not have the power to change this because of the constitutional reforms which were implemented under New Labor. This is a great example of where the UK government now has reduced powers.

             Under the current coalition government devolution has gone further with the government holding a referendum in Wales to decide whether the Welsh assembly can become a legislative body rather than an organisation who advises government. The result of the referendum was to grant the Welsh assembly the extra powers. Some argue that this again shows the reduction of powers of the UK government in favor of more local institutions which are closer to the people.

             However we can see with devolution the UK government still has overall control as they can at any time close down the devolved bodies when they like. As we saw when the Northern Ireland assembly was closed for a while when there was a rise in local problems. In all the devolved bodies the legislation protected the Westminster parliamentary sovereignty and their right to interfere in the devolved bodies. Westminster has not done this however and has kept at an arms length, except when there were problems in Northern Ireland. We can see the power of the UK government from the recent Scottish independence question. The coalition government held the right to make a possible result of a referendum on Scottish independence binding in law.