The next phase of English devolution
Devolution is beginning to deliver.
Now is the time to build on that success to realise devolution’s potential across England, to drive inclusive, sustainable growth, to improve living standards, and to integrate services that deliver better outcomes for residents.
In July’s ‘Building lasting futures locally’, our manifesto for the new Prime Minister, the LGA set out a vision for delivering long-term change for our communities.
The next phase of devolution is central to delivering that vision and must be rooted in principles of place-based leadership and neighbourhood delivery, with an emphasis on subsidiarity that empowers every resident and enables them to experience the benefit of decisions made closer to home.
The LGA now has a three-point plan for the future of devolution: deliver on commitments; remove barriers to devolution; and define the next generation of devolution.
First, delivering devolution means turning commitments into reality – by publishing and maintaining a clear delivery timetable, completing the devolution map, delivering promised powers and freedoms, and maintaining momentum through reform.
We need to avoid a long tail of areas left without devolved powers, resources or influence; ensure integrated settlements, growth funding, powers and wider functions are implemented consistently; reduce implementation delays; and shift to a ‘place-first’ approach, keeping devolution at the centre of government reform programmes.
Second, removing barriers to devolution means working together to enable local models and capability, and to allow places to secure substantial powers without requiring a single prescribed model.
Local government reorganisation may be on hold following the review announced earlier this month. But while LGR and devolution should proceed in parallel where possible, areas ready for devolution should not be forced to wait for councils to be restructured.
The focus needs to be on principles such as leadership capacity, institutional maturity, partnership working and wider readiness for deeper powers.
Finally, with a Rewiring the State White Paper expected this autumn, the Government has an opportunity to articulate the long-term destination for English devolution.
We think councils, strategic authorities and government should work together to broaden devolution, extend the opportunity into all corners of the country, and unlock policy areas that have been held back – such as post-16 skills.
We need to expand the ‘right to request’ to all partners in all areas, and strengthen the role of local leaders in housing, health, skills, growth and prevention.
Deepening devolution means following the principle of subsidiarity to: empower communities, and local and strategic authorities; progress new, innovative models of devolution; enable greater local decision-making; achieve meaningful fiscal empowerment; and provide greater financial certainty and flexibility.
Local government must play an important role in shaping the Government’s work on rewiring the state.
This isn’t just about structures and boundaries – it needs to be rooted in what really makes a difference to people and places: stronger connections with communities, prevention, early intervention, shared power and public services working together.
We now have a transformative opportunity to put places first, and to move towards a coherent, principles-based vision that empowers communities to build lasting futures locally.
The LGA is focused on making sure the experience, expertise and ambition of councils is right at the heart of that wider conversation.
- This is a summary of ‘Deliver, deepen, and define: the next phase of English devolution’, the LGA’s three-point plan for the future of devolution.