LGIU Response: Government Plans For A Council Of Regions And Nations

The LGIU has long-called for a senate of mayors and council leaders and so we fully support the intention behind the Government’s plans for a Council of Regions and Nations.

Power and money must flow from Whitehall and into the regions, while also giving them a say in how devolution is rolled out. Combined Authorities and Metro Mayors have a powerful constitutional role in shaping, revising and scrutinising government policy that affects local government but the Government can and should go further.

The Council of Regions and Nations needs to find a way to give locally elected leaders in areas not covered by a Combined Authority and Metro Mayor a seat at the table. While this is a very positive start, we eagerly await more detail, in particular how the Council aligns with the newly named Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

It doesn’t matter what the name of the Department is, but how effective this government is at ensuring local councils have the respect, funding and freedom they need to deliver essential public services.

With the nation’s leading academics and senior local government figures, we will be building upon a sector led devolution model at our Saving Local Government Summit next week that will identify the key immediate solutions for a sustainable local government sector that need to happen in this Government’s first 100 days.”