All articles tagged with #devolution
Andy Burnham says he would split his time between Downing Street and Manchester if he becomes prime minister, creating a No 10 North unit to devolve housing, transport and other powers to English regions as part of a broader rebalancing of power away from Westminster.
Labour's Andy Burnham calls for sweeping devolution to English city regions, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and more London powers to push growth from every postcode. While Greater Manchester shows productivity gains under devolution, economists say there is no clear UK-wide growth boost yet, and London remains far ahead. International examples suggest broader devolution can narrow regional gaps, but funding costs and current fiscal rules complicate implementation. The question remains whether this policy can deliver higher national growth and reduced regional disparities.
Andy Burnham, the likely Labour leader and former Manchester mayor, pledges a 'circuit-breaker' to devolve powers to local leaders, create a No. 10 North office in Manchester to oversee regional development, and enact a 10-year plan called 'Manchesterism' that combines public and private investment in transport, housing and utilities to spur growth countrywide, aiming to rebalance power away from London.
Burnham outlines a sweeping devolution plan, proposing a Manchester-based No 10 North to oversee a major council housing program and granting new powers to regional leaders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, signaling the biggest shift of political power away from Westminster in decades.
Burnham uses a Manchester speech to push a 10-year regional devolution agenda, giving mayors more control over housing, welfare and budgets to raise living standards and spur growth across the UK; the plan draws private-sector attention for specifics on taxation and energy, while Tory rivals push for concrete Westminster scrutiny and there is no chancellor named yet.
Andy Burnham outlined a broad, devolution-focused program—including a proposed 'No10 North' to accelerate empowering regions and public control of energy, water and transport—as he closes in on a Labour leadership bid; cabinet choices (with Ed Miliband as a possible chancellor) are being debated, while critics argue the plan centers on devolution rather than core reforms and faces scrutiny without a mandate.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is positioning himself as a different trajectory to Keir Starmer, promoting a “Manchesterism” that prioritizes private investment, devolved community control, and a bold domestic agenda while pledging not to raise workers’ taxes and signaling reforms to funding major projects and defense spending. Analysts say his early challenge will be crafting a clear narrative and assembling a capable team to translate vision into a manifesto before the next election, with implications for UK diplomacy and constitutional reform.
Vaughan Gething, currently the minister for economy, won the Welsh Labour Party leadership contest and is set to become the first Black leader of the semi-autonomous government in Wales, making him the first Black leader of any European country. Gething, who was born in Zambia, will replace incumbent Mark Drakeford as the first minister of Wales on March 19, with the Welsh parliament formally set to elect the next leader on March 20.
Northern Ireland is on the brink of a historic moment as a deal between the UK and the EU, along with internal political negotiations, may lead to the restoration of devolved government and the appointment of a Sinn Féin First Minister. The deal addresses the complex issues of Brexit and Northern Ireland's place within the UK, particularly focusing on the border with the Republic of Ireland. The Command Paper, to be published soon, will outline the changes, and if approved, could lead to the swift restoration of devolution in Northern Ireland.
Scotland's highest civil court, the Court of Session, has upheld the UK government's decision to block a landmark gender-recognition law passed by the Scottish parliament. The law, which allowed individuals aged 16 and older to change their gender designation on identity documents through self-declaration, was seen as a significant departure from the rest of the UK, where a medical diagnosis and a minimum age of 18 are required. The ruling highlights the tensions between devolved administrations and the central UK government, fueling frustrations and the independence movement in Scotland. Trans-rights campaigners expressed disappointment, while opponents raised concerns about potential risks and access to single-sex spaces.