- Government departments to second officials into mayoral authorities, working with the mayor, in the largest transfer of Whitehall capacity to local leaders yet
- Mayors from across political spectrum join the first virtual meeting convened through No10 North, one month after it opened with a mission to put places at the heart of national decision-making
- New leadership, talent and data programmes to build mayoral authorities’ capacity to deliver – responding to priorities raised by local leaders
One month after opening No10 North, the Prime Minister today convened mayors from across England for the first No10 North “virtual situation room”, announcing a major package of measures to put more Whitehall capacity behind local leaders and help unlock good growth in every postcode.
The package follows direct requests from mayors at the first meeting of the National Economic Council, held at the end of July, where local leaders called for stronger local capability, faster decision-making and a closer partnership with government.
From autumn, high-performing civil servants will be seconded into mayoral authorities to build capability and capacity and accelerate the transfer of power to local areas.
Tom Gordon, Member of Parliament for Harrogate and Knaresborough:
It’s good to see ministers have finally noticed Harrogate exists. But being name-checked in a press release isn’t the same as getting the funding and services our town needs.
I have always argued for genuine devolution, so I welcome any real shift of power out of Westminster. The trouble is that seconding civil servants into mayors’ offices is a staffing announcement, not a transfer of proper power – and it comes with no new funding attached.
A graduate scheme is not going to fix the eighteen-month wait for an NHS dentist, solve the state of our roads, dual the train line between Knaresborough and York, or stop the sewage going into the Nidd.
My worry is that towns like ours get mentioned in the speech and forgotten in the funding formula, while resources flow to the big city regions. If the Government is serious about ‘every postcode’, give North Yorkshire the money and the powers to fix our transport, our health services and our rivers – and then let local people decide how to spend it.
In an initial pilot, every mayoral authority will receive between five and ten civil servants on a 6–9-month secondment. The teams will provide the skills and expertise needed to support a once-in-a-generation devolution settlement. Mayors will be given the freedom to request the type of skills they need.
The package also includes:
- A new Civil Service Fast Stream pilot in Yorkshire and Humber, providing more opportunities to build successful careers in regions outside London and creating a new pipeline of future leaders with experience working in local and central government.
- Expansion of the Future Leaders Scheme, a civil service programme to develop high potential individuals, to mayoral and local authority officials.
- A Digital Devolution programme to unlock government data and build AI, digital and data capability in mayoral authorities.
- The Minister for Growth and Minister for Sport will work with Mayors on the Stadium Regeneration Accelerator, which will support major sports-led regeneration projects and bring forward jobs, investment and housing.
Jonathan Swales, Reform UK – Branch Chairman, Harrogate and Knaresborough Constituency:
Residents don’t care how many civil servants get seconded to a mayor’s office. They care about cutting crime, controlling immigration, and getting value for their council tax. This is jargon, not delivery.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said:
No10 North is putting more power into every postcode across the country so communities can unleash and unlock their own potential.
I’m bringing together Mayors from different political parties to work on these challenges, because people deserve problem-solving rather than point-scoring.
