The government’s devolution white paper – published on 16 December – will set out the detail of Labour’s promised ‘devolution revolution’. Ministers plan to further empower England’s existing 12 metro mayors, to extend devolution to the whole of England, and to reorganise local government.  

But what exactly will the white paper commit the government to do? Which powers will be devolved, to where? How will mayors be involved in delivering the government’s growth, energy and public service missions? How will the proposed reforms to local government work? And what challenges lie ahead for the government in implementing this ambitious agenda?

The panel:

Matthew Fright, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government
Rebecca McKee, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government
Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government
Thomas Pope, Deputy Chief Economist at the Institute for Government

What does Labour’s devolution white paper mean for England?

Two of England’s elected mayors join an expert panel to explore how well mayors are working with central government – and what powers they need.

- Ben Houchen, Mayor of Tees Valley
- Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands

This panel was chaired by Akash Paun, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. 

The devolution revolution: What next for England’s mayors?

Cristiano Santini (Disciplinatha / Dish is Nein) e Federico Bologna (Technogod / Omega Tribe) danno vita al progetto X.N.X, duo di matrice e sonorità elettroniche: ritmi ossessivi ed atmosfere cupe e distopiche caratterizzate dall’uso pressoché esclusivo di strumentazione reale. “In questo mondo di plastica, virtuale, piatto ed inespressivo scegliamo di tornare alle origini, come modus operandi, della musica elettronica”. I riferimenti musicali presenti all’interno dei brani abbracciano diverse epoche e tendenze musicali, riviste e contestualizzate nel terzo millennio. L’EP, in uscita su tutte le piattaforme digitali il 29 Marzo ed in CD il 5 Aprile conterrà una versione profondamente rivisita e reinterpretata di “Beautiful World” iconico brano dei Devo.

C.S.U.K (Il Sol Dell'Avvenire)

Involuzione (Holocaust) - XNX

Beautiful World - XNX

Naked - XNX

With an aim of delivering ‘simpler, more sustainable local government structures, alongside a transfer of power out of Westminster through devolution’, the government has formally invited proposals for local government reorganisation from all two-tier and small neighbouring unitary authorities in England.

Delivering this ambitious agenda will be complex, time-consuming and challenging as local authorities continue to deliver services against a backdrop of financial sustainability and workforce pressures.

So what are the benefits and risks of moving from two-tier to unitary local government? What does past experience teach us about how to successfully reorganise local government? What level of support from the government is needed to aid areas undergoing change? And how might reorganisation help to achieve the government’s devolution ambitions?

To answer these questions and more, this IfG event brought together an expert panel, including:  

Eve Roodhouse, Director of Strategy and Policy at the Local Government Association
Becky Shaw, Chief Executive of East Sussex County Council
Adrian Smith, Chief Executive of Nottinghamshire County Council
Phillip Woolley, Partner, Head of Public Sector Consulting at Grant Thornton UK LLP

The event was chaired by Dr Matthew Fright, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government.  

We would like to thank Grant Thornton UK LLP for kindly supporting this event. 

How to make a success of local government reorganisation

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?

The IfG was pleased to welcome Rt Hon Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, to deliver a keynote speech on how the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) plans to use its expanding powers and spending freedoms.

From April 2025, Greater Manchester will be funded by a new ‘integrated settlement’ that gives the mayor and other local leaders far greater control of spending in areas such as transport, skills, employment and housing. In his speech, Andy Burnham set out his vision for how these powers should be used to drive growth and improve outcomes for people across the region, and what further powers should be devolved.

Andy Burnham was then in conversation with IfG Devolution Programme Director Akash Paun.

A keynote speech by Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester

Elections were held across England on 1 May, with votes cast for four regional mayors, in 24 of England’s 317 councils and to decide the new MP for Runcorn and Helsby. So who are England’s newly-elected mayors and what might they do with the power they wield? What impact will the elections have on the Labour government's devolution agenda? And what happens next with its plans to reorganise local government across England?  

To explore these questions and more, the IfG was delighted to bring together an expert panel featuring:

Matthew Fright, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government
Stuart Hoddinott, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government
Sarah Routley, Research Assistant at the Institute for Government
The webinar was chaired by Akash Paun, Devolution Programme Director at the Institute for Government.  

What do the 2025 mayoral and local election results mean for Keir Starmer’s government?

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