By stewartb

So the Envoy will not attend the first collective meeting of those towards whom she will be the Envoy! What a missed opportunity to forge relationships!

This Council of Nations and Regions – which will have the Mayors of London and of England’s ‘combined authorities’ invited to attend – fails even in its own terms to be representative. The Institute for Government (IfG) on 24 June 2024 published this: ‘English devolution – What is the history of English devolution? How much of England has devolution? Which powers are devolved?’

It explains that there are currently 12 areas with mayoral devolution in England: Greater London, West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Tees Valley, West of England, York and North Yorkshire, East Midlands, and the North East.

It notes: ‘Devolution currently covers 48% of England’s population, 54% of its economic output, and 26% of the land area.’ And ‘If all the new deals under negotiation are implemented as planned in 2025, this will increase to 64%, 67%, and 54% respectively,’

And what is a ‘region’ in England anyway? There used to be ‘Government Offices’ for England’s regions and Regional Development Agencies – organisations that arguably gave ‘regions’ in England meaning, consistency and nationwide geographic coverage – but these were abolished by the Tory/Lib Dem coalition under PM Cameron.

With the establishment of this new Council and an Envoy, what is the role of the territorial Secretaries of State? What is the role of the UK government Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, Pat McFadden MP? Did either need or want an ‘Envoy’?

The House of Commons Library on September 12, 2024 published an ‘Insight’ note entitled: ‘Council of the Nations and Regions’ with the sub-title ‘It’s not yet clear how the Council of the Nations and Regions will fit into the existing system of intergovernmental relations, which was established in 2022.’ It explained: ‘‘In a recent written statement, the Prime Minister (i.e. Keir Starmer) announced that responsibility for devolution policy for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would move FROM the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to the Cabinet Office.‘ (my emphasis)

The statement added that: ‘Responsibility for devolution policy in England and engagement with Mayors and local government will remain with the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.’

So in the business of this Council of Nations and Regions, the Westminster/Whitehall ‘stakeholders’ will include it seems three territorial Secretaries of State, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster as Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government plus the PM? Almost forgot, plus possibly an Envoy!

To add to the ‘dogs breakfast, the IfG report (op. cit.) explains the nature of the devolved powers to England’s mayor-led combined authorities: ‘The powers devolved vary across the different devolution deals, …. Each devolution deal is negotiated separately between ministers and local leaders, but the government has published a four-level devolution framework with the different sets of powers on offer for each level.’

This four-fold categorisation of English devolution is of course a legacy of the Tories in government. In addition, the IfG notes that: ‘two ‘trailblazer’ devolution deals (loving Westminster marketing terms?), were agreed with Greater Manchester and the West Midlands in March 2023. So not only is the representation of England’s population at the Council partial, the powers of the Mayors present vary.

In a UK government press release heralding the first meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions on 9 October we have this: ‘Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: ‘This new era of genuine partnership working between the Government and Mayors will help us to unleash the potential of our great regions and boost growth. 

‘Mayors are champions of their regions at home and abroad, attracting investment, creating good jobs, and putting more money in people’s pockets. Our investments in transport, skills and homes, create the right environment for growth by connecting businesses to the talent and finance they need to succeed.

‘Through partnership working and by listening to business, we’ll deliver the long-term investment our country needs to shake off stagnation and face the future with confidence.’

Source https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-puts-investment-at-the-heart-of-first-council-of-the-nations-and-regions

No mention in Ms Brabin’s description of mayoral roles and responsibilities of: a national criminal justice system, a national health service, a national education and qualifications system, supporting a national food and agricultural system, supporting rural affairs nationally, providing a national social security system and income tax system, responsibilities involving local government nationally; engaging daily with a national parliament etc. etc. But no doubt the First Ministers of NI, Scotland and Wales will find plenty of scope and time to engage meaningfully with the Mayors at this new Council.

And is this Council of Nations and Regions – derived it seems from the ‘thinking’ of Gordon Brown who once upon a time espoused ‘federalism’ as the great salvation of the Union – going to replace that other council? Recall that from a Westminster government we already had this established in early 2022:

‘A landmark agreement setting out how the UK and devolved governments will work closely together to deliver for people across the whole of the United Kingdom …’ This established what was known as the ‘Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments Council’. No Mayors on this Council. I note the term ‘agreement’: this may be specious given the nature of Westminster, but has the Council of Nations and Regions been established following ‘agreement’ with governments in Belfast, Edinburgh – even withe British Labour Party government in Cardiff??

From that pre-exiting Council’s terms of reference:
‘1. The Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments Council (‘the Council’) will consist of the Prime Minister, the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales, and the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland.

‘2. The Council will be responsible for overseeing intergovernmental relations in the UK. Overall accountability for intergovernmental relations will remain with the Prime Minister, the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales and the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland.’

‘Top tier of engagement – Intergovernmental relations in the UK will be overseen by the overarching Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments Council (‘the Council’). All middle-tier and portfolio engagement will be accountable to this forum.’

‘The functions of the Council will include:
a. considering policy issues of strategic importance to the whole of the UK;
b. overseeing the functioning of and providing strategic direction to the system of
multi-level governance created by devolution;
c. reaching decisions on strategic direction for IGR by consensus;
d. acting as the final escalation stage of the dispute resolution process; and
e. overseeing and regularly reviewing this agreement.’

Source https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-to-chair-new-council-with-devolved-governments

At least the Tories acknowledged the status of the FMs of NI, Scotland and Wales within the UK constitutional arrangements.

Is levelling down the governments of NI, Scotland and Wales to the status of England’s combined local authorities mayors the British Labour Party’s big idea to secure the Union? Seems a far distance from as close to federalism as possible!