Incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham is being urged to accelerate and widen devolution plans or risk entrenching a ‘two-tier England’.

IPPR North warns that more than a quarter of England's population still falls outside mayoral strategic authorities (MSA), leaving many communities without the benefits of local decision-making and at risk of feeling left behind.

Former Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has pledged the ‘biggest rebalance of power our country has ever seen' and has put devolution at the centre of his policy offering.

IPPR North’s researchers argue that devolution must rebuild democratic confidence from the ground up, prioritising government ‘done with’ people rather than ‘to’ them. They say this will help improve public trust in politics which is at ‘historic lows’.

Recommendations

IPPR North has set out three key recommendations that they believe will strengthen the devolution of power to MSAs in England over the coming years:

• completing devolution in England by the end of this parliament and exploring extending regional devolution to city regions in Scotland and Wales

• setting out ambitious plans for fiscal devolution at the Budget this autumn

• ensuring that communities benefit from devolution, expanding and empowering ‘hyperlocal’ government, and embedding participatory approaches at local and regional levels so citizens can shape decision-making.

Comment

Report author Dr Ryan Swift said incrementalism ‘won't cut it anymore,’ urging bold, constitutionally embedded change.

‘If the new Government is serious about delivering economic growth, tackling regional inequalities, and rebuilding trust in politics we can't continue as we are. Gradual change won't cut it anymore, this is the time to move quickly and with purpose,’ he said.

‘That means giving regions not just more responsibilities, but powers, resources, and democratic legitimacy to make a real difference in places all across the country. It means empowering communities as well as mayors. And it means embedding these changes constitutionally, so that we can benefit from it for the decades to come, no matter who is in Number 10.’

Mirte Boot, interim head of IPPR North, added: ‘With the UK in a political trust crisis, the incoming prime minister does not have time to waste.

‘We have set out a radical proposal to see devolution truly make a difference to peoples lives, with ambitious fiscal devolution and a reformed regional second chamber. Local leaders should be in charge of local decisions. We saw the impact that has had in Manchester, now we have to see it replicated across the country.

‘But with this radical work must come urgency: Whitehall will resist change and populists will exploit every failure. The test now is if Burnham can act quickly enough to deliver the meaningful change this country has been waiting for.’