In a discussion chaired by Professor Colin Copus, Professor of Local Politics at De Montfort University, representatives from the three main parties will discuss their party’s approach to English devolution and the impact of those approaches on local government.

Steve Reed MP, LGA Vice President will represent the Labour Party, Heather Wheeler MP, LGA Vice President will represent the Conservative Party and Lord Purvis will represent the Liberal Democrats.

Cllr David Sparks welcomed Professor Colin Copus, Steve Reed MP, Heather Wheeler MP and Lord Purvis of Tweed to Councillors’ Forum to discuss English Devolution.

Professor Copus explained the format of the discussion and introduced the devolution issue.

Steve Reed MP discussed the fact that England is viewed as the ‘last outpost of the British Empire’ and remains massively over centralised while Scotland has been offered a form of ‘devo max’. 

‘English votes on English laws’ is not the solution because it does not push power down far enough. Devolution must make power more accessible and usable because current public opinion shows that those who hold power currently are seen as remote and unaccountable. Power must be drawn closer to the people.

Any new settlement should build on the current structure but not be limited to infrastructure. Devolved decision-making on health, education and welfare would mean that ‘English votes on English laws’ is not an issue. This approach should not stop at town halls. Following a principle of subsidiarity, power should be given to citizens and service providers should be accountable to communities. This model would allow for the shrinking of government departments, with central government doing less but doing it better.

This approach can be summarised as:

1.    A constitutional principle of subsidiarity.

2.    Single pot negotiated deals with their own priorities

3.    Empowerment of citizens and service users

Heather Wheeler MP discussed the concept of Total Place as a model for English devolution. Central government and Ministers at the Department for Communities and Local Government understand the importance of communities coming together to make decisions in this way.

Local Leader’s Boards could utilise one budget to cascade down funds on the basis of local priorities. This is an example of trusting the people that people vote for, councillors, to shape services.

Regional government has been rejected but it is important that ‘English votes on English laws’ form part of the answer to the devolution question. Hopefully, by May 2015, all political parties involved will have agreed on a strategy to achieve this. If this is not the case, the Conservative party will include it in their manifesto for the general election.

Lord Purvis of Tweed observed that within the United Kingdom there has been organic federalism. Following the Smith Commission, there will be some form of a federal United Kingdom. This can be seen from relationships between the nations that have a statutory footing and dispute resolution.

A bottom up approach, where centralised legislation enables decisions to be made locally, requires two sets of core principles. One set of principles surrounds the narrative of what the United Kingdom is, while the other involves both legislative and fiscal devolution.

There is work to be done first, on enabling legislation for true fiscal devolution, before questions need to be answered about voting.

Members discussed:

·         Fiscal devolution

·         Fiscal relationships between the nations

·         Tax powers in areas such as London

·         The basket of taxes

·         A constitutional convention

·         The need for more than political decision making on this issue

·         The role of town and parish councils in devolution