Which among these political establishments did not come into existence in the year 1999?
The late 1990s were a period of significant constitutional change in the UK, marked by the devolution of power from the central government in Westminster to different regions. The Labour government, under Prime Minister Tony Blair, initiated a series of reforms aimed at granting greater autonomy to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Think of it as distributing decision-making closer to the people. The Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly were both established in 1999 as part of this wave of devolution, giving them legislative powers over certain areas like education and healthcare. However, the Northern Ireland Assembly had a more complex journey. While the Good Friday Agreement, signed in 1998, paved the way for its creation, the Assembly didn't actually come into being until later. It was formally established in 1998, but it only began fully functioning with devolved powers in December 1999, after some initial hiccups and delays. So, while the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly were up and running in 1999, the Northern Ireland Assembly's full operational start was slightly later.
Recall that the devolution of powers in the UK started from 1997, granting Scotland and Wales more autonomy through their respective legislative bodies.