JULY 16th 2024

Shifting dynamics

A fresh start: following the election relations between English mayors and Whitehall look set to get a lot warmer.

Rob Parsons´s long read in The Northern Agenda flags how mayors and the new government want a bigger push on joint engagement and sharing expertise between local leaders and central government.

Labour sees mayors as key to driving the potential of English regions to boost UK economic growth and make sure the Starmer government hits its number 1 objective.

Regional leaders are focusing on fleshing out local growth plans over the summer so ideas can also be fed into Rachel Reeves´s autumn budget.

This is less about “submit your homework” and more about a “grown up relationship between equals, equal parts of the system who have plans for delivery and want to work together to get things done."

Separately, the government is keen to give away powers to more English regions that don’t yet have a devolution deal, with the FT reporting it wants areas that are “devolution deserts to request new powers from central government over various policy areas.”

Reform´s here to stay

Is the party´s success to date a blip or the start of a deeper shift in British politics?

A poll by More in Common/New Statesman points to the second.

It suggests that it´s a mistake to write off support for Reform.

If you look at the different parties and how enthusiastic their voter base was during the election campaign then Reform tops the list.