Strengthening Local Governance through Whitehall Collaboration
In a significant move to enhance local governance, the Prime Minister has brought mayors from various regions together for the inaugural virtual meeting of No10 North, just one month after its establishment. This initiative aims to embed local perspectives into national decision-making processes, ensuring that communities across England can harness their potential for growth.
As part of this initiative, government departments will deploy civil servants directly into mayoral authorities, marking the largest transfer of Whitehall resources to local leaders to date. This effort responds to the pressing needs articulated by mayors during their initial gathering with the National Economic Council, where they advocated for enhanced local capabilities, expedited decision-making, and stronger partnerships with the central government.
Empowering Local Authorities with Resources
Beginning this autumn, the government will second high-performing civil servants to mayoral authorities, aimed at bolstering their operational capacity and facilitating a significant shift of power to local jurisdictions. Each mayoral authority will receive between five and ten civil servants on a six to nine-month secondment, equipped with the necessary skills and expertise to support a transformative devolution settlement. Mayors will have the liberty to specify the skills they require, ensuring that the support is tailored to their unique needs.
Among the various initiatives included in this package are the introduction of a new Civil Service Fast Stream pilot in the Yorkshire and Humber region, which aims to create career opportunities outside London and cultivate a future generation of leaders with experience in both local and central government.
Furthermore, the expansion of the Future Leaders Scheme will extend its benefits to officials in mayoral and local authorities, fostering high potential individuals within these communities. The Digital Devolution programme will focus on unlocking government data, enhancing artificial intelligence, and developing digital capabilities within mayoral authorities, thereby equipping them to better serve their constituents.
Collaborative Efforts for Community Development
The Minister for Growth and the Minister for Sport are set to collaborate with mayors on the Stadium Regeneration Accelerator programme, which aims to support significant sports-led regeneration projects that will generate jobs, attract investment, and provide housing. Prime Minister Andy Burnham emphasised the importance of empowering communities to realise their potential, stating that No10 North is designed to decentralise power and encourage collaborative problem-solving across political lines.
In its inaugural month, No10 North has successfully placed regional mayors at the forefront of national economic discussions through the National Economic Council, established a direct channel for local leaders to communicate obstacles to growth with central government, and initiated efforts to enhance local control over bus services in the West Midlands. These are just a few of the steps taken to support mayoral authorities in areas such as skills development, leadership, and growth delivery.
A Commitment to Devolution and Local Empowerment
First Secretary of State Louise Haigh articulated a commitment to ending the centralisation of power, asserting that the government is embarking on the most significant transfer of power and resources to local communities in a generation. Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner, echoed this sentiment, expressing a desire to return power to local communities where it rightfully belongs. She emphasised the necessity of equipping mayors with the tools they need to address local priorities, including transport, housing, regeneration, and more.
No10 North represents a pivotal element in the government’s devolution strategy, with plans to continue engaging closely with mayors to facilitate sustainable growth across all regions. The initial secondment programme is expected to involve eighteen mayoral strategic authorities, with the potential for two additional strategic authorities to join in the future.
With the fast stream applications set to launch alongside the next intake in October, successful candidates are anticipated to commence their roles by September 2027. The Digital Devolution programme aims to enhance access to government data and create a unified model for data sharing between Whitehall and local authorities, further empowering local leaders to leverage technology for public service improvement and economic advancement.
Strategic authorities play a crucial role in regional governance, uniting local councils to address broader issues affecting their communities, such as transportation, housing, and economic development. This collaborative approach is fundamental in tackling significant regional challenges effectively.