Dr Neil Barnett (Leeds Beckett University) & Dr Andy Mycock (University of Leeds)
The purpose of this short report is to identify key challenges and opportunities the English
Devolution White Paper (EDWP) presents for Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire (YNL).
‘Low fat’ or ‘full fat’ devolution? The jury is still out
- The paper sets out a direction of travel to strengthen the role of Mayors and different forms of
Combined Authorities (CA’s) (re-named Strategic Authorities) across YNL. UK Government will
‘support’ Mayors in collaborating at pan-regional level. Question remains as to what should or
can be achieved at YNL level given asymmetries in powers, capacities, and budgets devolved,
and through what means. YNL geography overlaps with, for example, the Northern Powerhouse
and Mayoral engagement with the Convention of the North. There will be a key challenge in the
aligning of existing and emerging strategies whilst retaining a YNL wide perspective and voice. - Whilst the EDWP contains much for Mayors, there are slim pickings for local government and
there is scope for tensions to emerge as CA’s take on more responsibilities. CAs not only gain a
range of important powers but will be the default provider for new programmes and assume a
lead role in public service reform, despite not being a primary delivery body for public services
except for transport. Relationships between CA’s and LA’s in the Region have been good and
decisions on devolution taken consensually. However, LA’s continue to face severe financial
pressure. UK government review of council funding will seek to re-distribute funding between
types of council and this will lead, most likely, to further pressure on funding for some. Tensions
may emerge between tiers of governance which could be exacerbated by the move to majority
voting on CA’s (particularly in those with fewer constituent members). A firm commitment to the
crucial place-shaping role of LA’s will be key to good relations. - The CAs will carry a heavy burden in coordinating and delivering economic growth. They will
become the key strategic planning body, responsible for Spatial Development Plans and Local
Growth Plans, as well as more control over strategic housing land allocation, transport, and
infrastructure development. Planning and housing allocation in particular have plenty of scope
to create community and political tensions. EDWP seeks to make decision-making quicker by
allowing for majority voting and Ministerial intervention in the event of delay. This will place a
burden on CAs in terms of capacity, staffing and expertise as they will be required to integrate
existing plans with those required by the EDWP. A particular challenge will be the oversight and
integration of LA local plans and those of a wide range of public services and agencies. - Whilst there is a clear commitment to the devolution agenda from the UK government, including
the Treasury, the EDWP does not show an ‘across-the-board ‘involvement from central
government departments (for example DEFRA and DWP responsibilities are only lightly touched
on). This may be a sign of some resistance to devolution in Whitehall. Several resonant policy
themes identified in previous ‘Levelling-Up’ objectives are peripheral in EDWP (e.g. inclusive
growth/economies, neighbourhood renewal). Further, the welcome commitments to more
flexible, single funding allocations for MSA’s, for example, still contain central government
control. All these signals suggest there may be scope for ‘reigning back’ by Whitehall or the UK
Government of some of the more ambitious intentions of the EDWP as time goes on. - EDWP frequently states devolution will give communities a greater say in decisions that affect
them. There is however little detail as to how this will be achieved beyond asset transfers,
particularly the impact of devolution on democratic renewal or community resilience. Some
Las have expressed concerns about the potential ‘power drain’ of backbench local councillors if
local government seen increasingly as a ‘delivery agent’ of CAs with little agency for local policy
initiatives.
Opportunities for the Region in the EDWP - YNL will contain five CAs, three already established and two (Hull and East Yorkshire, and
Greater Lincolnshire) having their first Mayoral elections in May 2025. Although Yorkshire and
Humber have a considerable advantage in having settled governance arrangements, further
local government reorganisation in Lincolnshire has been mooted (the formation of two unitary
authorities). There are now however firm government foundations for YNL collaboration, joint
working and lobbying. EDWP highlights the potential for better connecting formal (LA, CA and
national) and informal (Yorkshire, YNL, Northern) levels of multi-level policymaking, creating
opportunities for ‘joined up policy’ through policy transfer and scaling within and between
combined authorities, and across the YNL region. MPs can play a crucial role in this work
through their extensive connections with Ministers and senior departmental civil servants. - EDWP focus on rationalising and integrating multi-level policymaking, service-delivery,
outcomes will require collective local and regional voice across Whitehall and UK government.
Established and emergent relationships include the Yorkshire and Humber Councils (including
Yorkshire Leaders Board, the White Rose Mayor Agreement and the new Mayoral Council (which
the West Yorkshire Mayor chairs). SYMCA and WYCA can also support more recently
established CAs in engaging with central government. Placing MPs and the APPG YNL at the
heart of this mission to amplify this collective voice in Westminster and Whitehall is crucial in
both widening and deepening devolution and securing investment to support regional growth. - The APPG YNL can help address several areas of ‘concern’ identified in the EDWP. For example,
the alignment of government and wider public service boundaries. For the most part,
representative, governance and service delivery across the YNL region and nationally suffers
from undue fragmentation. The challenge to align policy strategies (see point 3 above) is
hampered significantly by this. Whilst this is large ambition which has eluded successive
governments over many decades, the EDWP offers an opportunity to better connect and
synchronise the political, policy, service delivery, business, and community ecosystem to
support the delivery of strategic government missions (particularly economic growth). - EDWP identifies need for establishing and capturing successful outcomes through ongoing
evaluation of devolution. It does not however identify these in detail, though there is a potential
that central government (and maybe GMCA and WMCA) will set terms of reference for an
outcomes framework. This provides an opportunity to collectively determine (and innovate)
local and regional outcomes frameworks, measuring and valuing things differently. Having YHL
MPs involved in shaping place-based success indicators and outcomes will be key to
ensuring future devolution reflects the interests and needs of diverse communities and places
across all of the region. - The EDWP and wider government agenda gives Mayors considerable leverage in the drive for
economic growth, granting them direct powers and strategic oversight in planning, transport
and skills. Moreover, the Chancellor has announced that the National Wealth Fund and the
Office for Investment will be instructed to work with Mayors, another indication of a desire to
deepen the relationship between Whitehall and the combined authorities. However, a national
‘dash for growth’ must connect with existing work Mayors and CA’s in the Region have done to
address the fundamental challenges of low skills and productivity, and of creating more
inclusive economies. In addition, the role of local government and its financial health will be key
to providing the foundational basis and social infrastructure needed to support and maintain
sustainable economic growth. YHL MPs and the APPG for YNL can play a pivotal role in
ensuring that emerging national, regional, and local policy coheres to drive best outcomes for
the region.
Next Steps
- Y-PERN is conducting a pioneering study with Yorkshire and Humber Councils to explore
how an evidence-based approach to widening and deepening devolution across the YNL
region. This has involved a review of the international evidence on devolution, and
interviews with the Region’s local and combined authority chief executives, political
leaders, and senior policy officers. We would like to explore how we can work with the
APPG YNL and our MPs to feed their views into this ongoing project. - The APPG YNL is a key forum for bringing together the Region’s MPs, connecting national
policymaking to regional and local scales. Y-PERN would be keen to explore how we can
bring the voice and agency of our MPs and the APPG YNL in the developing academic
policy engagement networks across the Region.
Author’s Note
The Yorkshire and Humber Policy Engagement and Research Network (Y-PERN) is transforming
the way academic researchers and knowledge exchange experts in twelve universities work in
partnership with local and combined authority policymakers across the region. Based on a
Memorandum of Understanding signed between Yorkshire Universities and Yorkshire and
Humber Councils, it is enabling sustainable and resilient systems that maximise the flow of
research and expertise into public policy. In doing so, Y-PERN is supporting multi-level
governance and joined-up policymaking across Yorkshire and the Humber and nationally. For
more details about Y-PERN, please contact its Chief Policy Fellow, Dr Andy Mycock
(a.j.mycock@leeds.ac.uk) or see our website: https://y-pern.org.uk
