The Labour government wants mayoral combined authorities (MCAs) to play a leading role in delivering faster economic growth – so what can ministers do to help MCAs achieve success in this mission?  

With an expanding set of devolved transport, skills, housing and planning powers, MCAs are well-placed to drive regional growth – but success is not a given. To capitalise on their potential, MCAs need effective decision-making structures, sufficient institutional capacity, and strong accountability mechanisms.

The government’s devolution white paper sets out proposals to reform the capacity, accountability, and decision-making processes of MCAs, but do these reforms go far enough? What are the potential risks? And what more can the government do to support MCAs to succeed?

To answer these questions, we were joined by:

Amy Harhoff, Chief Executive of the East Midlands Combined County Authority
Rebecca McKee, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government
Jim McMahon MP, Minister for Local Government and English Devolution
Laura Shoaf, Chief Executive of the West Midlands Combined Authority
This event was chaired by Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.  

Introductory remarks were also be delivered by Robert Breedon, Partner and Co-leader of Government Sector at Gowling WLG. 

We would like to thank Gowling WLG for kindly supporting this event. 

How can the government support mayoral combined authorities to deliver economic growth?


After 30 years of the Nolan Principles, ethical scandals – from partygate to freebiegate – are still a regular feature of UK political life and public trust in politicians remains low. What role do politicians play in leading by example? How should politicians in Westminster, devolved and local governments demonstrate their commitment to the Nolan Principles? How can they show ethical leadership within their organisations? And what does upholding standards look like in different political and governmental contexts?

Speakers:

Paula Barker MP, member of the Commons Select Committee on Standards
Roger Gough, former leader of Kent County Council  
Dr Melissa McCullough, Commissioner for Standards, NI Assembly
Dave Penman, General Secretary, FDA

This session will be chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

How can politicians demonstrate ethical leadership?

Chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

This event was part of the IfG's conference on the The Nolan Principles at 30: What does the future hold for standards in public life?


Speech: Alberto Costa MP, Chair of the Committee on Standards

Chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

This event was part of the IfG's conference on the The Nolan Principles at 30: What does the future hold for standards in public life?


Keynote speech: Rt Hon Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office

To reflect on the topics raised during our conference on the Nolan Principles, the IfG and CSPL convened small group discussions to talk through more specific questions:  

What are the emerging threats and opportunities in the standards landscape?  
How do politics and partisanship affect the way standards are perceived?
What does ethical public service leadership look like?

Those joining online were able to take part in a webinar discussion on the same topics. A panel of IfG and CSPL staff reported back on the themes raised in the discussions.  

Shaping the standards debate: interactive discussions

Many of the public’s interactions with the state are with frontline officials in health and social care, policing and local government. How much do the Nolan principles resonate with those delivering public services? How can frontline officials be supported to make ethical decisions? And how can frontline organisations prevent failures, and rebuild public trust where they occur?

Speakers:

Neil Basu, former Assistant Commissioner, Metropolitan Police
Helen Buckingham, Chair of National Voices
Amerdeep Somal, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

This session was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

How can frontline officials uphold high standards of behaviour?

Chaired by Emma Norris, Deputy Director of the Institute for Government.

This event was part of the IfG's conference on the The Nolan Principles at 30: What does the future hold for standards in public life?


Speech: Marie Goldman MP, Liberal Democrat shadow leader of the House of Commons

To conclude our conference on the Nolan Principles, our panel discussed the impact of the Nolan Principles in public life today. How have they changed the standards landscape in the UK? What do the public think about standards in public life? How useful are standards and principles to leaders in government? And how can a strong standards system support a government’s wider objectives?  

Speakers:  

Doug Chalmers, chair, Committee on Standards in Public Life
Chris Morris, CEO, Full Fact
Sachin Savur, researcher, Institute for Government
Rowena Mason, Whitehall Editor at the Guardian

This session was chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government  

What do the Nolan Principles mean today?

Back by popular demand, Hannah White, Paul Johnson and Anand Menon reunited on stage to record a special live episode of The Expert Factor – the podcast for people who haven’t had enough of experts.  

Nine years to the day since the UK voted to leave the EU, as the directors of three of the UK’s leading think tanks – the Institute for Government, the Institute for Fiscal Studies and UK in a Changing Europe – got together to discuss, explore and explain the big questions facing Keir Starmer’s Labour government and Britain’s opposition parties in an increasingly unpredictable world.

The event was held in partnership with UK in a Changing Europe.

The Expert Factor Live!

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How can the government support mayoral combined authorities to deliver economic growth?

Institute for Government

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