Voters rate devolution a failure, says survey

Most British voters do not think devolution has been a success, according to the first countrywide opinion poll on the new political set-up.

The ICM survey found that 91% of people in Scotland, 88% of people in Wales and 65% of people in England believed that devolution, the government's flagship policy, had achieved little or nothing since it took effect.

Despite the dismay at the realities of home rule, however, a majority of voters across Britain felt what the devolved bodies in Cardiff and Edinburgh needed was more power, not less.

The survey comes after a traumatic few months for both the Welsh assembly and the Scottish parliament with the forced resignation of Alun Michael as first secretary in Wales, and growing concerns about first minister Donald Dewar's leadership in Scotland.

The poll, conducted for the Scotsman newspaper, found that only 37% of Scots felt the parliament had been good for them; 64% believed the body had achieved a little; and 27% believed it had achieved nothing. A total of 68% wanted to see more power in Scotland.

In Wales, where the assembly has more limited powers, 48% of voters believed nothing had been achieved, 40% believed only a little had been achieved, and 62% wanted more change.