The capital appears to have ‘taken a step backwards’ on devolution, a former chair of London Councils has said.
Speaking a decade after then London mayor Boris Johnson endorsed the findings of the first London Finance Commission, which called for greater financial freedoms for the capital, Peter John said: ‘Whereas Manchester and Birmingham and the North East are making big strides forward in terms of combined authority powers and public service devolution, London actually seems to be standing still or has actually taken a step backwards.
'There has been no progress.
'Where has the progress been in terms of potential new powers regionally for education or for health, evcn for greater skills devolution quite frankly?
‘Really, there’s absolutely no progress on [fiscal devolution].
'I think that’s going to be the great battle I think in terms of devolution because even Manchester, even with their wins would not say we’re anywhere close to being self-sufficient or financially independent as a region in the way that we would hope we could be so I think that’s where the tension lies in the years ahead.’
Following the publication of the report by the Commission on the UK’s Future, chaired by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Labour has pledged to ‘consider how devolution and constitutional reform can act as another tool in driving community participation in politics’.
However, Mr John, a former Labour leader of Southwark LBC, suggested it was ironic for Mr Brown to call for financial and economic devolution considering his record as chancellor.
To continue reading visit The MJ (£)
