Gill Kirk MA Oxon, FRSA, MCIPR’s Post

Yesterday the government confirmed it was proceeding with several of the devolution deals concluded under the last administration including the creation of new mayors in Hull & East Yorkshire and in Greater Lincolnshire. Today Akash Paun and I outline proposals in a new Institute for Government report how to extend devolution to 100% of England by the end of the parliament. Despite the roll out of devolution to 12 English regions, 50% of the population lack a devo deal including big urban areas like Stoke, Southampton and Leicester. With the government promising a 'devolution revolution', ministers face tough decisions about how to fill in the English devo map. In July, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner gave local leaders in 'devolution deserts' until the end of September to come forward with proposals on how they would work with neighbours to take on new powers. Ministers will soon need make the final call on the shape of the next wave of devolution deals. In our report we lay out some of the factors that need to be taken into consideration when evaluating what makes for a good deal - final decisions should take into account scale, economic geography, local political commitment, ease of implementation, other public sector boundaries, and historic patterns of local and regional identity. We then apply this to the remaining 'devolution deserts' in England to weigh up the options. In most areas there is no single option that ticks all boxes. Ministers have to weigh up the trade-offs in the devo deserts and decide between smaller & simpler deals - often on historic county boundaries - or larger, complex & potentially transformational deals at a regional scale. We summarise these alternative approaches as ‘Option 1’ and ‘Option 2’ – although this isn't a binary choice. Ministerial preferences for different factors in different areas could see a mix of smaller and larger deals in the final map. To read the full report and the detailed analysis of devolution in all regions of England go to https://lnkd.in/egCM_hYy

Big important report from Matthew and Akash here

Lots going on with English devolution today, so here's a quick recap… Angela Rayner has written to top tier councils without devolution deals urging them to talk to the gov about devolution https://lnkd.in/eeXDzhG8 The letter says the new government wants to move away from deal making but yet urges places to get their bids in by September, no doubt kickstarting another summer of local talks (as seen in 2016 and 2020) https://lnkd.in/eYwDt3AV But the status of deals agreed by the former government but not yet signed into law, such as Norfolk, Suffolk and Greater Lincolnshire is not yet clear. Norfolk for one has not had the clarity it is seeking https://lnkd.in/euUnGckM Lots of questions remaining over what the new government deems a ‘sensible economic geography’ and what a new devo framework will look like but overall seems like little change from previous approach in sidelining districts and only devolving most significant powers to places with a mayor Reporting credits to Kirsty Weakley

Very helpful summary of what's happening with English devolution from the LGC. It'll be interesting to see whether Angela Rayner or Jim McMahon say anything about this at the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) Saving Local Government Finance Summit (https://lnkd.in/enjVBNKs) or the LGiU & County Councils Network Summer Reception (https://lnkd.in/eddiDesN) tomorrow. There's a good point made in here about levels of local government in two-tier areas. County Councils have the scale necessary to run many major services and may be the appropriate bodies for running many newly-devolved services too. But they are responsible for vast areas. District Councils are much more local, representing more closely what citizens see as "their local area" - often far more homogenous areas in terms of types of settlement and shared issues. If the Government isn't involving District Councils in discussions about devolution, it is missing out on potentially very valuable contributions. Devolution shouldn't stop at county level - while some services may be best run at this level, others may be more suitably run at district level, and without this, the general public won't feel devolution is really serving them. (Indeed, it's individual communities that need to feel the benefit, so somehow town and parish councils and community sector organisations also need to be brought into the process.)

🌟 Congratulations to my good friend Claire Ward and her Election as Mayor for the East Midlands This moment holds significance for us too here in Leicestershire. 📍 East Midlands Coverage Clarification!! While the region is officially labeled as the ‘East Midlands,’ it currently only encompasses Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. The full devolution settlement for our area remains incomplete until the remaining regions secure similar or equivalent deals. Central government’s indecisiveness has prolonged this process, and local residents eagerly await the outcome of the upcoming general election to gauge potential changes under a new government. 📊 Prioritization Challenges in Leicestershire In Leicestershire, we find ourselves further down the priority list when it comes to funding decisions and devolution powers. While Labour champions the acceleration of the devolution agenda, we recognize that the devil lies in the details. Politically and technically complex discussions lie ahead, and navigating them requires finesse and some grown up decision making! 🔍 The 4D Chess Game of Uncertainty Across the region, The situation still resembles a high-stakes game of 4D chess. Certainty remains elusive, and businesses crave stability. The sooner we hold an election and form a government with a long-term vision, the better for all stakeholders—be it in politics, economic development, local governance, or business. 🌊 Saje Impact’s Continued Support In the coming year, I’ve chosen not to close Saje Impact entirely as some of you will have noticed. Instead, I’ll continue assisting businesses and organisations as they navigate the choppy waters ahead. Together, we’ll chart a course toward prosperity and progress for the City and County by coming together behind a shared vision of good people!

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.

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

Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, has announced plans for a sweeping devolution initiative aimed at transferring significant powers from Westminster to local authorities across England. In a move described as a "new devolution revolution," Rayner is reaching out to regions currently without devolved powers, inviting them to partner with the government in what she calls "the most #CouncilofNations #devolutioninitiative #Economicgrowth #industrialstrategy #localdecisionmaking #LocalGrowthPlans #localpower #mayoralpowers #regionalautonomy #thxnews

2/2 This has been driven by powers allowing the Greater Manchester Mayor to encourage investment into the city, boost skills, and work towards an integrated transport system. In other parts of the country, Mayors have played a crucial role in attracting new investment - with major manufacturers such as Boeing and McLaren bringing new jobs to South Yorkshire, while West Yorkshire is now home to the UK’s fastest growing digital industry outside London. OECD research suggests that if the autonomy of UK cities was to increase to the same level as Helsinki, then productivity would increase significantly. Agreeing new devolution deals will mark a monumental shift of power away from Westminster into communities – giving those with skin in the game the power to make the best decisions for their people and make a difference to their lives. The letter comes ahead of the King’s Speech on 17 July 2024, which will build on the momentum of the government’s first week, by setting out how it will make a difference to the lives of working people. Further information  Last week, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister convened a mayoral roundtable at Number 10 with the 12 current metro mayors to discuss to discuss a new partnership approach and how the government can scale up devolution which will help to unlock economic growth and tackle regional inequality. The Prime Minister announced that the government will establish a Council of Nations and Regions bringing together the Prime Minister, the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales, the First and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, and the Mayors of Combined Authorities. New Mayors established through this process would be eligible to sit on the Council of Nations and Regions. The Deputy Prime Minister has also pledged to introduce Local Growth Plans across the country. As part of this, mayors will be asked to identify local specialisms, and contribute to work on a national industrial strategy. The Deputy Prime Minister is writing to all council leaders of County and Unitary councils not currently subject to a devolution deal. Read the Deputy Prime Minister’s letter.

Over the last few days our team have been keeping up to date on what's happening in Stormont. From tracking committee appointments, changes to committee appointments, Ministerial statements of intent as well as first committee meetings, its a lot. How will committee chairs settle into their new roles? How will they work with deputy chairs and their committee colleagues to 1. agree priorities 2. get through the business of outstanding SIs 3. engage with Ministers and departmental officials constructively While committees are there to scrutinise departments, MLAs face the challenge of balancing 1. scrutinising ministers from their own parties 2. understanding where legislation and priorities fit into the broader responsibility/ambitions of the Executive of which most of the parties are members 3. wider responsibility to make devolution work, and that matter of 4. constituency interests and where will the magic number of £113m in the next budget?