Simon Kaye’s Post

It’s my last piece for Local Government Chronicle as New Local CEO, so, I’ve let my hair down and just said what I think needs to change - realistic or not! Radical Integration: bring all public services under the control of councils and combined authorities. Radical Devolution: strip central govt of most of its powers and money and give it to local government (no devo deals - just do it everywhere as quickly as possible). Community Power: open up these local powerhouses to genuine community involvement in everything: the big strategic decisions, the design and delivery of services, local economic policy and more. And two extra small things: replace the word ‘residents’ with ‘citizens’; and ‘public services’ with ‘collaborative goods’. I genuinely believe this is the change we need to shock our failing system back into legitimacy and efficacy. It’s not going to happen anytime soon, of course, but worth keeping the radical vision alive because you never know … #localgov #publicservices #ukpolitics #devolution Sean Hanson 😉 https://lnkd.in/d_zBA_9v

“The picture is pretty bleak. It’s important that we start with a realistic sense of where we are. We’re in the midst of an enormous experiment with local government which has reached an extreme point of centralisation. We’ve seen more power and control from local to central government. That’s manifested in a variety of ways, but has left some people questioning the very point and mission of local government.” Words spoken by Paul Kissack at the PF Live conference yesterday. He also went on to say: "Combined authorities offer the chance to bring things together: so transport and planning, for instance, or skills and employment services. Coherence makes a difference to economic growth." Whether we see a much wider and deeper devolution approach remains to be seen. The new Labour government appears to be committed to it. One thing we can all be sure about - extreme centralisation hasn't worked. Time to try greater devolution and give it a chance. #devolution #centralisation #economicgrowth #coherence https://lnkd.in/e34g6GAv

This Labour Party document "Power and Partnership" seems timid, incremental and - in my view - not particularly devolutionary despite the promise that this will be the "full fat" version. There could be some progress on competitive pots and medium-term strategic budgeting (3 year cycles). Some powers look set to go downwards in relation to specific functions. However, it is laced with conditionality, earned autonomy and local authorities being expected to deliver national strategies/policies, albeit in "partnership", at a pre-determined sub-regional scale. There is nothing on fiscal devolution, equitable or otherwise, and the whole thing is driven by the city-regional "growth" imperative. The word "democracy" does not appear once in the report. Specific proposals could well have merits on their own terms, but from the standpoint of devolution, this has a distinct flavour of business as usual. If it gets there, I doubt it will become any more radical through the legislative process. https://lnkd.in/gzReVeHe.

With the #GeneralElection just days away, it is looking likely that our next Prime Minister will become the first knighted PM since the early '60s. Unlike his predecessor, the new PM will inherit an economy that's been stagnant for over a decade. While the narrative suggests that “there is no money” for ambitious policies, it is still possible to tackle regional inequalities and level up the country🎚️ In his most recent blog, Fabian Cooper explores 5 ideas to help tackle regional inequalities. And, even better, the only capital they will cost is political. Read the blog here: https://lnkd.in/efsmbb9K #UKPolitics #RegionalEquality #EconomicGrowth #PolicyInnovation

Some people think that the Levelling up agenda is dead because we keep being told how tough the fiscal situation is. I don't reckon that is right. There are free ways to help level up the poorest areas of our country without relying on dumping cash on them. They won't get you all the way (we really do need more public sector investment) and some are politically challenging but collectively they would help. I reckon there are 5 key things a new government could do without spending a penny: 1. A regional growth mission board 2. Aligning industrial strategy with place-based clusters 3. 100% business rates retention for cities and CAs 4. Local Income Taxes 5. Residential property tax reform Have a read below!

Whilst the Spring Budget dominated the news last week, including the announcement of the North-East trailblazer devolution deal worth £100m, several other key initiatives and notable reports caught my eye…. “State of the North” annual report by IPPR North provided insights into the current state of regional inequality in England and proposed a vision for a decade of renewal. I particularly welcomed their advocating for closer integration of health and local growth agendas with the recommendation for Health and Prosperity Improvement (HAPI) zones, which are local areas that target better outcomes for the foundations of good health, such as safer homes, cleaner air, better jobs, and stronger community relationships. Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eQEH6TcY For all those in Westminster and Whitehall that are blind to the opportunity of the net zero economy, the report by the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) is a must read. Its analysis shows 9% year on year growth in a sector creating highly productive jobs (1.6X more productive than the average UK job). Importantly, there’s no North/South divide in the economic opportunities created by the net zero economy. Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eztvqytb Confused by Metro Mayors? If you’re not up to speed with what they are, why we have them and in which areas, Centre for Cities has demystified them in its latest briefing. With 50% of the population of England and 87% of the North set to have their own after the mayoral elections in May, find out why Metro Mayors play a crucial role in boosting economic development initiatives within their city-regions. Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eV-ZfMpz Colleagues James Hopton & Isabella Thompson attended the recent 'Convention of the North' in Leeds. It celebrated the progress made on devolution and innovation across the North. However, as we all know, there's still a long way to go for the North to punch above its economic weight. Find out about the calls for a ‘Manifesto for the North’ ahead of the next general election in James's latest blog. Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/ekbxa83d What have I missed? Message me below 👇 . #COTN24 #NorthernPowerhouse #Devolution #NetZero #Trade #Transport #MetroMayors #SpringBudget2024 #HAPI #NetZeroEconomy

Hi Adam. What a powerful post. I agree with everything you say. Place-based approaches and decentralisation is key and have been proven to yield far better outcomes than a centralised or place-agnostic approach. Local Authorities are still largely trusted by the citizens they serve and with more autonomy and fiscal control they could co-create far better places with and for the wide range of stakeholders they serve. However, I’m slightly disappointed that you didn’t feel you could share your vision while in role. We need more radical thinking and doing from individuals that then resonate and connect others to mobilise a driving force for change. Ideas are powerful things but it’s in the implementation that we experience the value. All the best in your new role, Doug

The latest Local Government Chronicle devolution map is very -ahem- colourful, and this time includes Wales Read it here to find out why (quick before gets out of date) https://lnkd.in/eiaQxFGQ

"History is littered with ideas that were unimaginable and undoable until they weren’t." In his final Local Government Chronicle briefing as chief executive of New Local, Adam Lent ditches moderation and describes the change we really need: ✅ radical integration ✅ radical devolution ✅ and radical #CommunityPower https://lnkd.in/dnRaPVmk #PublicServices #PublicSector #LocalGovernment #Devolution #Integration #Westminster #Decentralisation

The Devolution Bill represents the greatest constitutional change for a generation, moving power out of Westminster and back to local areas. Devolution will be the new default setting, meaning places will be granted powers without the need to negotiate agreements where they meet the governance conditions. Local leaders will be able to formally request additional powers aand the Government will be required to either devolve them or gove reasons for not doing so. Devolved areas now account for almost half of England's population and more than half its economic output. However, the inconsistent, deal based and patchwork approach has left too many levers for growth in the hands of central government, and too many institutions with different powers and governance arrangements. England is one of the most centralised economies in the world and has some of the highest levels of geographic inequality. These two things are linked. Westminster does not have the local knowledge, capacity and flexibility needed to take advantage of every opportunity available in every area.