Latest news with #EnglishDevolutionWhitePaper
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
'We are not alone in our disappointment' for Glasgow
Here is a practical example of both national governments supporting a local partnership of business, academia and city council to encourage regional economic growth. It would have been even more cheering if we had arrived home to find that Glasgow and its city region were benefitting from a similar approach in the comprehensive spending review. All it would have taken was a single sentence saying that the UK and Scottish governments would be working together to establish long-term flexible funding deals for Scottish cities to match those already sorted out for Greater Manchester and the West Midlands. No such sentence appeared. Read more: Instead, I found myself reading Chief Secretary of the Treasury, Darren Jones, arguing that in Scotland the decision to "empower the city regions rests firmly with the Scottish Government". If he really believes that, we are at risk of stepping back a decade in time. Eleven years ago, it was the UK and Scottish governments that together announced the £1.3 billion Glasgow City Region Deal. That deal was the first of many in Scotland, each designed in collaboration with local stakeholders to demonstrate how joint working between both governments can initiate real empowerment on the ground. The chamber, senior business leaders and leading academics have all invested time and energy to help create the structures and capabilities of the Glasgow City Region. We did so in the belief that there was good faith in their value being demonstrated by both the UK and Scottish governments. We were encouraged by decisions made by the last UK Government to allocate over £300 million in additional resources to help the city region grow. Read more: The most recent was the announcement of £160m for a 10-year investment zone supporting the growth of advanced manufacturing. The chamber was involved in the process for project selection and there were so many more exciting projects - and in many other industry sectors - that could have been funded had the money been available. We can see the region's growth potential and how it can be unlocked. Over time, we have become a vigorous advocate for regional devolution deals. We believe that many of the projects our members want to see - particularly in skills, infrastructure, and innovation - are best delivered at the regional level. Projects like the Clyde Metro transport system, our three university-led innovation districts for emerging industries, our city centre renewal plan and investment help to grow our airport and our conference centre, all demonstrate the kind of ambition that regional empowerment can unlock. We shouldn't really need to argue the importance of regional devolution deals with the UK Government. It sets out all the reasons in several papers, including its English Devolution White Paper: the UK's low productivity trap, the stagnation of living standards and the unusual economic underperformance of all the UK major cities outside London. The chamber had therefore asked for a devolution deal with long-term funding and greater flexibility, but there is no such deal being proposed for Glasgow – or for any other region in Scotland. Read more: Instead, Glasgow is offered confirmation of the investment zone announced by the previous government, a share in a new UK-wide local growth fund, and support from the National Wealth Fund. These are all welcome but the investment zone had already been announced and the local growth fund looks set to be small once funds have been allocated across the country. It is also unclear if those funds are expected to deliver on old commitments such as that for Greenock town centre. The National Wealth Fund's commitment to a strategic partnership with Glasgow City Region could be more promising, but it is unclear whether there will be any new funds under the control of the regional partnership. If it helps the region attract private finance for projects, it could still prove valuable. However, it appears from the outside to be more like working with a body such as the Scottish National Investment Bank than a genuine devolution deal. Read more: We are not alone in our disappointment. The London-based thinktank the Centre for Cities issued its own report describing Glasgow as the "missing piece in the big cities' jigsaw". Especially worrying is their assessment that the lack of a devolution deal "places Glasgow at risk of falling behind its comparators south of the border". And yes, of course the Scottish Government has a poor track record on regional devolution. So much of the momentum building behind Glasgow City Region has come from UK Government funding programmes. One notable exception was the Clyde Mission - a Scottish Government initiative that promised much but ultimately fizzled out and ended up being passed to the city region with approaching £30m in funding. Otherwise the Scottish Government has undoubtedly been slow to devolve. As one example, the announcement in the programme for government of £2m towards a Glasgow City Region response to maritime industry skills shortages was welcome, but there is a much bigger prize. Passing apprenticeship funding from Skills Development Scotland direct to the regions instead of to the Scottish Funding Council would be much a better long-term aim. Regional devolution has not been the Scottish Government's natural default, so all eyes have tended to fall on the UK Government. If Darren Jones is signalling that momentum on regional devolution is to be stalled until the Scottish Parliamentary elections next May, then sadly, so too the growth potential of Scotland's largest city region may be stalled as well. Stuart Patrick is chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce.
BBC News
30-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Crawley and Reigate councils to decide on unitary authority plan
Two councils in West Sussex and Surrey are due to decide on a proposal to form a combined unitary authority as part of the Local Government Reform plans. Crawley Borough Council and Reigate & Banstead Borough Council said the move would "maximise the economic growth" of the proposal argues the creation of a hard boundary between the two authorities, with the potential through devolution of two elected mayors on either side, would be "detrimental" to the government's growth agenda. Labour councillor Michael Jones, leader of Crawley Borough Council, said: "This is a possibly once in a lifetime opportunity to rethink how local government works. "We are duty-bound to consider all possible options within the guidelines set by government to ensure this town and its residents are best served by whatever structures are to follow."Devolution is the government's plan to transfer power from Westminster to regional or local authorities. This was published in the government's English Devolution White Paper last December, outlining reasons including "a change in way of governing" to improve the country's standards of living. Both councils say the potential economic benefits of this move "outweigh any savings that might be made through the formation of a larger unitary".They add the two areas form a "£13bn-plus economy and conjoined by the world's busiest single runway airport in Gatwick"."By submitting this proposal now, we keep this option, and the compelling case regarding our shared economy, alive so that it can be considered alongside the proposals that emerge from our work in West Sussex," added Mr proposal will be considered at a meeting on 7 May at Crawley Borough Council.
BBC News
24-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Wales-England border body Western Gateway loses funding
The organisation behind plans for a tidal lagoon in the Severn Estuary and improved rail connections across south Wales and western England, has lost its UK government Gateway received £1m a year as part of a three-year package announced in 2022, but will now cease to exist in its current form from 6 UK government announced its intention at the budget last autumn to stop funding so-called pan regional partnerships (PRPs) and wants the new system of elected mayors in England to take up their work shadow secretary of state for Wales, Mims Davies, said she was "horrified" by the decision. Western Gateway is a partnership of 28 local authorities stretching from Pembrokeshire to Swindon and had hoped for an exemption from UK government plans, because it is the only PRP to work across the borders of two nations of the a statement, the chair of Western Gateway Sarah Williams-Gardener accused UK ministers of refusing to said: "This is a hugely disappointing decision from the UK government."Despite representation from Welsh government calling for talks on how both governments can work together on this, requests to meet from business and locally elected leaders and MPs, they have refused to engage with any of us from our area on this decision."Last month a commission set up by the partnership published proposals calling on the UK and Welsh governments to build a tidal lagoon in the Severn Estuary to generate electricity. In January they revealed plans for faster trains and 30 new railway stations, with reduced journey times of 30 minutes between Cardiff and Bristol and an hour between Bristol and London. Western Gateway claimed it would add £17bn to the UK economy, but the scheme would depend on significant UK government funding to become organisation said it generated over £2m of in-kind and financial support and brought in £100m of funding for the area to try and develop the first small modular nuclear reactors in the UK. These are cheaper, smaller nuclear power stations which are partly assembled off-site. 'Different model' Western Gateway started back in 2016 as a collaboration between Cardiff, Bristol and Newport and became a UK-government-supported partnership in 2019.A spokesperson for the UK government ministry of housing, communities and local government said: "Our Plan for Change commits to ensuring every nation and region realises its full potential."Pan-Regional Partnerships have made a valuable contribution but as our English Devolution White Paper sets out, we are now moving to a different model of pan-regional collaboration where we are keen to support new models driven by Mayors and their partners."Wales does not have a system of devolution to elected mayors, but the UK government has said it would continue to work with the Welsh government to develop local growth a letter to Labour's Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens, the Conservative shadow Welsh secretary Mims Davies urged her to get her colleagues to wrote: "I am absolutely horrified to learn your government has pulled the crucial funding on the incredibly important Western Gateway."She added: "It is bitterly disappointing that the fantastic work undertaken by the organisation has been cancelled."Ms Williams-Gardener said the partnership's work showed that the area they covered could become the fastest-growing part of the UK economy outside of Wales has been told that the local authorities were keen to continue working together, but would have to do so without the support provided by Western Welsh government declined to comment.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
County council opposes combined authority plan
Essex County Council has told the government it "cannot support the proposal for devolution in Greater Essex in its current form". The local authority supports a major shake-up and reduction in the number of councils in the area. As part of the plans, a mayor would be elected and a combined authority would be set up to make key decisions on issues including transport and housing. Conservative-run Essex County Council says it should have more voting power on this combined authority, compared with councillors from neighbouring Southend and Thurrock. Under this plan, Essex would have three voting members on the combined authority, whilst Southend and Thurrock would both have two. The Labour leaders of Southend and Thurrock support the proposed setup. The county council argues that it represents 80% of the population of Essex and should have at least 50% of the votes. Essex leader Kevin Bentley told Local Government Minister Jim McMahon it would "ensure fairer representation". He proposed there should be two voting members from Essex, and one each from Southend and Thurrock, with the mayor potentially having the deciding vote. Daniel Cowan, Labour leader of Southend-on-Sea City Council, told the BBC: "Southend has been clear we wouldn't accept anything other than what has been proposed. "We think it is fair and balanced and it sets us up in the right way for local government reform." The existing council structure in Essex is set for radical change with plans for the current 15 councils to become between three and five all-purpose unitary authorities. A timetable for reforming local government in Essex has been set out: Elections for a Greater Essex mayor on 7 May 2026 Elections for the new-look Essex councils in May 2027 The new councils would replace the existing ones in 2028 The mayor would be directly elected, which means the population will choose their preferred candidate. John Kent, Labour leader of Thurrock Council, said devolution "gives us the opportunity to grow the Essex economy and we cannot afford little wrangles like the niceties of voting numbers to scupper that". Cowan added: "We have all worked together collegiately to get to this point so far. "It's now disappointing that the county council doesn't believe we can continue in that vein." Members of the public and institutions can comment on the devolution proposals until this Sunday. The government in Westminster will have the final say. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Essex leaders want cut-down model of five councils Council shake-up sees elections delayed in nine areas Could three Essex councils become one? Essex County Council English Devolution White Paper
BBC News
20-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Worcestershire MP backs proposal to cut county in two
A Worcestershire MP has backed a proposal to split the county in two to form northern and southern council run Labour MP, Chris Bloore, said a new North Worcestershire authority – made up of Redditch, Bromsgrove and Wyre Forest district councils - would best fit the government's devolution Worcestershire's political leaders appear deadlocked over which option is a separate proposal, Worcestershire County Council has argued replacing the county's seven existing authorities with a single one could save more than £20m a year. "For towns like Redditch… I don't think we should be going straight to a Worcestershire-wide solution," said Bloore."We're at a time where, if we're honest, Worcestershire County Council is going through a very difficult time. Its delivery of services in certain areas, like children's services, hasn't been the best."And I think we've already seen in Redditch and Bromsgrove that those councils have worked well in shared partnership and delivery of services. So, I'm pretty confident that we could do it again," he current population figures, a North Worcestershire authority would be home to just under 288,000 criteria set in Labour's English Devolution White Paper stipulate that new unitary councils must serve at least 500,000 people, Bloore said he believed the government would show flexibility. At the moment, Worcestershire's political leaders appear deadlocked over which option is Worcestershire County Council and Wyre Forest District Council have argued a single unitary authority is the only option to meet the government's criteria, both Worcester City Council and Malvern Hills District Council have said they would prefer the county be split in other districts, Bromsgrove, Redditch and Wychavon, said both options needed further exploration."One Worcestershire council would be more effective and efficient," said Simon Geraghty, the Conservative leader of the county council, at a scrutiny meeting on Tuesday. Life on a new border A new border would follow existing district council boundaries, cutting right through the village of Astwood Bank, where residents currently live under different district councils – either Redditch or Wychavon – with different rates of council tax and different bin in future, the creation of two new unitary councils could see neighbours receiving different provision for services, such as roads, public transport, social care and libraries."We want the best bang for our buck," said Roy Stanley, who currently lives on the Wychavon side of the said he favoured a single council."At the end of the day we just want decent services for the amount of money that we pay out. I think that's the main thing," he said. "Actually making an area bigger in terms of local government doesn't always necessarily make it better," said resident Karen Arnold, who said she preferred the idea of splitting the county in two."There's a huge variety in population… and what populations need in this area."And I think if you've got a very large area to cover, it gets very difficult to tailor services to what the actual population needs," she Astwood Bank just a few minutes' drive from the neighbouring county of Warwickshire, resident Katie Taylor-Jones said county boundaries had made local public transport less joined up."We're ten minutes' drive away… we can't get buses very easily between those places. It doesn't encourage us to be able to use public transport," she said."If they kind of stop on a particular road and say, well, that's as far as we're going, because here's the boundary, that makes it complex, I think."While councillors in Worcestershire have until November to submit a business case for proposals to the government, any negotiations are likely to be interrupted by county council elections on 1 May. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram.
