Agenda item

Ian Hughes, Head of Policy, introduced the paper on English devolution and the new Government to support members’ discussion on how to align the Board’s work programme and lobbying with the new Government’s commitments.

Broadly, the Devolution Bill responds favourably to many of the LGA’s key proposals and members agreed that we would want the Bill to remain enabling rather than more prescriptive.

Members agreed the following:

·         To  pick up on the City Growth Commission’s recommendation for an Independent Body to offer an objective judgment on readiness for devolution.

·         To put a marker down for a constitutional settlement that enshrines local government in law.

·         To push for flexibility when it comes to  governance models

·         Devolution needs to be backed up by the ability to raise resources so the LGA should push for amendments on fiscal devolution

·         The LGA should support an enabling provision for London boroughs and the GLA

Members also discussed:

·         The importance of portraying a vision of what the country could look like as a result of devolution in 20 years’ time.

·         The risks of a piecemeal approach to devolution and the need for a clearer understanding of what Ministers and civil servants are prepared to see devolved

·         The complicated geography that some councils are working through

·         The onus is on local government to approach central government with their own individual proposals for their devolution deals.

·         Devolution will necessitate Whitehall’s own reform.