Reform Think Tank’s Post

I am so excited to share the first major policy report of our workstream 'Reimagining the Local State', as well as my first ever published policy report! It is widely accepted that power is dramatically overcentralised, with the impacts being severe, systemic regional inequalities, an inefficient and complicated state (locally and centrally), and a 'one-size-fits-all' model that certainty does not fit all - if anyone. But it is also agreed that the centre should retain responsibility for certain issues. So what powers should sit where? How do we determine the best-placed tier of governance for each responsibility? How should our structures shift and change to become conducive to well organised governance? Our new report, 'What powers where?', explores just this, setting out design principles for local systems and recommendations for whole regional systems to work together and distribute powers at every scale. It also sets out the notional distribution of powers for a much more devolved system. If you would like to get in touch to discuss, please message me or the lead on this paper Simon Kaye! Thanks to Power to Change for supporting this paper 👏 https://lnkd.in/ep4zJGy9

REPORT 📄 | We're pleased to partner with Reform Think Tank to bring you 'What Powers Where?': a deep dive into what is needed for a successful 'devolution revolution'. While England is overcentralised, there are also moves to devolve more power to a regional level. This is a start but it's not enough. The paper argues that powers should be rearranged in a way that sees specialisation attached to different scales of governance: a collaborative and facilitative hyperlocal tier, a delivery-focused mid-tier, and a strategic and co-ordinating regional tier. For devolution to work, all of these layers must be aligned, and each playing to its distinct strengths within the larger local system. At Power to Change, we're especially interested in the ways this can foster deep neighbourhood resilience and enable the self-governance of communities themselves. Read the report for design principles and recommendations for whole regional systems to work together and distribute powers at every scale 👇 👇 https://lnkd.in/e4w5qy3A #devolution #devolutionrevolution #localgovernment #community

Interesting new report from Reform Think Tank today on hyperlocal governance, subsidiarity by default and scaling #devolution across different geographies within England 👀

Jennifer Pahlka Andrew Greenway Niskanen Center published a really important report today about government capacity. I'd encourage anyone who's thinking and working in and around government, technology, policy, and/or social impact to consider how the "how" underneath drives everything about how the social contract between government and its constituents is going right now. This horizontal, cross-cutting topic isn't flashy and won't grab attention like headlines about specific issue areas, but it is the ether in which government operates, and is worth understanding for so many different reasons. https://lnkd.in/gD5TMCBu

This is an excellent blog by Sir Geoff Mulgan on the need for social innovation as well as the technical or digital variety. I totally agree the government has to unlock the energy and ideas in civil society. At a No. 10 reception this week Keith Starmer talked of a new ‘compact’ with civil society. Details to come. I am more optimistic that this Labour government understands that its traditional reflex will no longer work and it cannot solve all the problems from the centre. At least that is the message I keep hearing, including on the devolution agenda which will be an important strand. There is also some promising momentum building around the idea of the impact economy as a way of joining up some of the elements - philanthropy, social investment and purpose-driven business. But I agree that much of the central government muscle-memory has been lost of what has worked well in the past - some of the initiatives which Geoff helpfully lists at the end. There is a huge opportunity - in fact a necessity - for a government with such an enormous fiscal black hole to work creatively with the wider impact economy to harness capital, but also ideas and energy as Geoff points out behind a national mission. It is incumbent on all of us to work together and help show the way and this blog is a great place to start.

Good challenge here from Geoff to the govt as well as the R&D landscape / universities on the importance of social innovation

A series of short blogs from Geoff that often challenge the orthodoxy and help give context to our work. They help me rise above the day to day noise of working life and think a little differently....Enjoy!

Bold ambitions - an analysis of the Government’s Devolution White Paper. The Devolution White Paper sets a transformative vision for shifting decision-making powers closer to local communities. By empowering local leaders with control over economic development, housing, and transport, the government aims to reduce regional inequalities and foster economic growth. While ambitious, the success of this vision hinges on sustained funding and local capacity. Amardeep Gill, Head of Public Sector alongside Paul McDermott, Partner, delve into the detail, highlighting the potential for growth and innovation across England. The White Paper's emphasis on mayoral leadership and strategic authorities could drive significant economic and social benefits, but it also raises questions about local accountability and resource allocation. At Trowers & Hamlins, we are committed to working closely with our clients and colleagues in local and regional government during this time of change. Together, we can navigate these new opportunities and challenges to drive growth and innovation across England Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/3Bp5vUV #Devolution #PublicSector

Is the 'devolution revolution' really coming? "This is not quite the revolution that the local government system needs. This is devolution by increments, and devolution as a narrowly-defined project. It leaves the fundamental structure of governance largely unchanged. And by focusing tightly on the creation of a regional (well, quasi-regional) layer, it misses the opportunity for what I have been calling whole system devolution, where regional, local constituent authorities, and hyper-local institutions are all aligned behind a shared vision and a fully decentralised array of powers to deliver on it.“ Latest from me in politics .co. uk! https://lnkd.in/eJiF8HVg

🤔 "Know your place" was the title and theme of our autumn party conference fringes and roundtables on local public financial reform this year with Norse Group & CIPFA - so good to see Public Finance running it as title of excellent Calum Rutter deep-dive into place policy and how it might deliver for communities. My thoughts from Localis perspective: There’s been an observable shift in the language around place in the past few years. 🗺️New Labour towards end of tenure had some reforms based on the idea of ‘total place’. 🤷♀️Although the coalition government paid lip service to carrying those ideas on through 'whole place/community budgets' their heart wasn’t really in it. 🪙The levelling-up white paper recognised the crucial interdependent link between the quality of public services and the quality of local placemaking – that they’re two sides of the same coin. 🤔 All eyes on the English devolution white paper - and devolution to what end? 🧵We need to untwine genuine devolution, which involves transfer of power and resources to the local level, from simple decentralisation, through which local government is treated as a mere delivery arm for national policy. 💖 As with our work 'Heart of the matter' looking at future of place in new parliament [IMPOWER Consulting] the promise of genuine, full-blooded devolution is that by transferring powers and responsibility for services we get better outcomes, not because Whitehall is inherently bad but because local institutions have far more at stake in making their promises and budgets realistic in terms of trust and accountability.