Insight paper #1 - How do we solve a problem like devolution?
To go straight to the report, click here. For a summary of the insight paper, read on.
What is devolution?
Devolution refers to the transfer or powers and funding from national to local government bodies. It allows flexibility at a local level, to ensure policy decisions reflect the needs of the people they affect more closely (learn more here).
Despite the 2022 “Levelling Up” strategy to move more government services out of London and work towards regional equality, previously proposed devolution deals for the central South have failed.
Now more than ever, a devolution deal would benefit the region by unlocking new resources and power to ease the financial strain on our local councils and public services. Potential upcoming changes in national government pose a new window of opportunity to negotiate a successful deal for the central South.
“Now is the time to rethink regional coordination so as to be in the best possible position to lobby for a favourable devolution deal after the next General Election.” - CftS Insight Paper
What is this Insight paper about?
The Centre for the South has produced the first in a series of insight papers focusing on key challenges of our region. This paper is focusing on the prospect of devolution in the region, without seeking to promote a particular blueprint on which any deal out to be predicated. It highlights successful approches to the planning, negotiation and execution of devolution deals based on examples from other regions in the UK where a devolution deal has been successful. In other words, this report is focused on the “how” of a devolution deal, rather than what it would be used for.
Stakeholders could use these insights going forward to influence their devolution strategy.
Key insights and findings
Key Insights from the Executive Summary.
There are 5 “Arts of a Devolution Deal” identified in this paper.
1) Establishing a deep and wide coalition - this involves collaboration between regional stakeholders and political powers.
2) Conveying a coherent (enough) geography - it can be hard to define the boundaries of the central South, but a provisional decision can be used to achieve effective access to resources.
3) Building a narrative of shared benefit - assuring all parties that benefit to one will not mean disadvantage to another.
4) Pooling resources for an effective evidence base - sharing across local authorities (for example, data sharing across health services) is a way reduce duplicated efforts and do more with the resources available.
5) Building trust - key players in a devolution deal must be have strong relationships and overcome partisan divisions.
“The sense of common cause and the need for a closer day-to-day integration has the organic effect of bringing rival parties closer together.” - CftS Insight Paper
The last of these – the art of building trust - is the most fundamental, and the most fragile in the context of our region at the moment. Therefore, the insight paper’s recommendations are as follows:
Recommendations from the Executive Summary
Possible circuit breakers might include a joint expert taskforce, a regional ‘devolution summit’, or a democratic innovation such as a Citizens’ Assembly directed at a particularly knotty or contentious issue.
Our Launch event
Are you…
A regional stakeholder invested in the prosperity of the central South?
Working in the business or third sectors?
Interested in working together so that our region can thrive?
The Centre for the South will be hosting a launch event in Winchester on the 27th June to discuss insights from our report. If you are interested in learning more, please register your interest using the form below.
Insight paper
To read the report in full, click the image below.
