Devolution

• Health and social care devolution deal agreed in Surrey

  A second Greater Manchester-style devolution deal has been struck in Surrey Heartlands.

  

• What does local government want from the next Government?

  William Eichler explores what local government organisations hope to see from the next Government.

  

• Need for elected mayors are scrapped by all parties

  County council leaders have welcomed the requirement for newly-devolved local authorities to have directly-elected mayors being dropped.

  

• Burnham will push for more northern devolution deals

  New Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is on a mission to convince the Government to strike further devolution deals across the north of England.

  

• Council chiefs call on all parties to adopt ten-point plan

  Local government leaders have called on all political parties to adopt its 10-point plan to boost local services and drive economic growth.

  

• Mayors must unite behind devolution agenda, think tank says

  England’s mayors must unite to demand more devolved powers to improve local public services and boost trade post-Brexit, a leading think tank says.

  

• The changing face of parish councils

  Neil Merrick explores the expansion of parish council duties – and the subsequent rise in precepts.

  

• Metro mayors should place digital at ‘the heart’ of their plans

  The new metro mayors should put digital devolution at the ‘heart of their plans’, tech industry campaigners say.

  

• Raising regional productivity could boost economy by £175bn finds research

  Improvements in regional infrastructure could add £175bn to the economy by 2024, according to new research by the CBI.

  

• Think tank calls for ‘overhaul’ of local democracy in Scotland

  A think tank has published a ‘blueprint’ for a complete overhaul of local governance in Scotland via the introduction of primary legislation.