Political change

You will need to describe and explain changes to the distribution of political power since the 1970s. The main changes have been as follows;

• Britain joining the European Union (EU) in 1973. One impact of British membership of the EU has been an erosion of national sovereignty
• A decline in the power of the trade unions
• A rise in new social movements campaigning for issues such as protection of the environment, and the rights of gay people
• Devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This means that Westminster deals with issues that affect the whole of the UK (e.g. defence and foreign policy), whereas regional parliaments deal with local issues such as health and education.

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