Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Briony Allen

Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · Mar 14

[NEW] How can the government support better decision making in mayoral combined authorities?

Our new report examines the government’s proposed shift to majority voting and the support that is needed to enhance decision making in MCAs

Read in full 👇
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

How the government can support better decision making in mayoral combined authorities | Institute for Government

Making England’s ‘devolution revolution’ a reality.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

1 3 3

Reposted by Briony Allen

Rebecca McKee @rebeccamckee.bsky.social · Mar 14

It's a local - central - local government sandwich this week from @instituteforgov.bsky.social

Following our event on Tuesday on effective decision making in MCAs with @jimmcmahon.co.uk, the PM on the pod yesterday, today we have a new report examining the shift to simple majority voting in MCAs 👇

Rebecca McKee @rebeccamckee.bsky.social · Mar 14

📣New report from me & @brionya.bsky.social

MCAs’ decision-making is often limited by unanimous voting rules

Effective decision making for key strategic plans requires a shift to simple majority voting alongside greater capacity and accountability

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

How the government can support better decision making in mayoral combined authorities | Institute for Government

Making England’s ‘devolution revolution’ a reality.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

2 4 1

Reposted by Briony Allen

Rebecca McKee @rebeccamckee.bsky.social · Mar 14

📣New report from me & @brionya.bsky.social

MCAs’ decision-making is often limited by unanimous voting rules

Effective decision making for key strategic plans requires a shift to simple majority voting alongside greater capacity and accountability

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

How the government can support better decision making in mayoral combined authorities | Institute for Government

Making England’s ‘devolution revolution’ a reality.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

1 11 7

Reposted by Briony Allen

Sarah Routley @sarahroutley.bsky.social · Jan 27

On 1 May voters will be heading to the polls to elect the mayors of the West of England, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Hull and East Yorkshire, and Greater Lincolnshire.

At the @instituteforgov.bsky.social we have been building a picture of the candidates they will be choosing between. 🧵

1 7 11

Briony Allen @brionya.bsky.social · Dec 18

This did turn into a reading list as well as a commentary on the webinar, but the team does have great content so please check it out, and hopefully will answer some of the many unanswered questions!

Reposted by Briony Allen

Shivani Chivukula @shivanichivukula.bsky.social · Dec 18

Yesterday the Cabinet Office public bodies team published their 2022/23 ALB report. It's a really interesting and well-visualised piece of work. Check it out here: co-public-bodies.github.io/ALB_Landscap...

2 6 4

Briony Allen @brionya.bsky.social · Dec 18

@tompope.bsky.social London operating on a different constitutional basis, means that it is easy to extend some powers but harder to extend others.

@rebeccamckee.bsky.social rachet mechanism being set up- very interesting. And the devolve or explain principle - formal request to take on powers.

1

Briony Allen @brionya.bsky.social · Dec 18

@milliemitchell.bsky.social our resident London expert gets a shout out (she is also an expert on MDCS and recently published a very cool paper, find it here: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...)

Devolution and urban regeneration | Institute for Government

More mayoral development corporations are key to getting Britain building.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

1 2

Briony Allen @brionya.bsky.social · Dec 18

@matthewfright.bsky.social timetable qs interesting- when will the Bill come? Once clearer on parliamentary timetable and mechanisms for reorganisation, we will know more.

Boundary alignment tricky- but government has made clear they will factor this into decision making.

1

Briony Allen @brionya.bsky.social · Dec 18

Moving onto some of the audience questions

@tompope.bsky.social disappointed that tourist tax wasn't part of the EDWP offer- could be an opportunity to test fiscal devolution.

@rebeccamckee.bsky.social MHCLG not worst offender of small funding pots, not clear how EDWP changes will be implemented.

1

Briony Allen @brionya.bsky.social · Dec 18

@matthewfright.bsky.social now on unitarisation, which could be a 'webinar in its own right'. Questions on sequencing have been left unanswered. Wondering what unitarisation means? See www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/lo...

Local government unitarisation | Institute for Government

Unitarisation is a type of local government reorganisation that replaces separate county and district councils with a single tier of local authorities

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

1

Briony Allen @brionya.bsky.social · Dec 18

@matthewfright.bsky.social describing the importance of scrutiny reforms- he's written a great comment piece on this very topic www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/devo..., and I've written on it in our response to the EDWP www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/engl...

More devolution is welcome – but it needs strengthened metro mayor accountability | Institute for Government

Current accountability arrangements in England’s mayoral combined authorities are underpowered.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

1

Briony Allen @brionya.bsky.social · Dec 18

@rebeccamckee.bsky.social flagging importance of capacity. Analytical and research support so combined authority members can be more certain that the decisions are based on robust evidence and solid principles.
EDWP has good stuff on secondments and the mayoral data council, but further to go.

1

Briony Allen @brionya.bsky.social · Dec 18

However, our research found that decisions rarely fell at the voting stage- consensus building behind the scenes was critical. This is likely to still be the case (South Yorkshire for example already requires simple majority + mayor for many decisions, but consensus building has still been critical)

1 1 1

Briony Allen @brionya.bsky.social · Dec 18

Our project has focused on decision making and voting arrangements on the combined authority boards. EDWP has set out that voting should move to simple majority + mayor, which could remove the current veto power of individual councils over strategic decisions.

1 1

Briony Allen @brionya.bsky.social · Dec 18

@rebeccamckee.bsky.social acknowledges that I have spent the last few months reading MCA constitutions- knowledge that she describes as 'redundant but... sure it will be useful some day' after the EDWP changes

1 2

Briony Allen @brionya.bsky.social · Dec 18

@tompope.bsky.social the focus has been on how mayors can contribute to the government's growth mission but they have roles to play in other missions.

The retrofit pilot has been made more permanent, and is now a commitment in that space.

1

Briony Allen @brionya.bsky.social · Dec 18

@tompope.bsky.social duty to develop SDS underpinning local transport plans is also important, and fact mayors will get call in powers (like the mayor of London currently has).

The broad bucket of powers are correct, mayors at that strategic levels can make a set of interrelated decisions.

1

Briony Allen @brionya.bsky.social · Dec 18

@tompope.bsky.social it is as much about where is getting new powers as about what those new powers are. Trailblazer agreement with GM, with an integrated pot of funding. Extending this to other mayoralties is perhaps more important than new power announcements-flexibility is important.

1

Briony Allen @brionya.bsky.social · Dec 18

@matthewfright.bsky.social setting out what we mean by 'completing the map'- which he happens to have a whole report on www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...! The Devolution Priority Programme was launched in the EDWP, Matthew sets out some areas he thinks will be first on the gov's list

How the government can extend devolution to the whole of England | Institute for Government

Half of England's population currently is not covered by any form of devolution.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

1

Briony Allen @brionya.bsky.social · Dec 18

@akashpaun.bsky.social flags our excellent report (disclaimer, I am a co-author) where we set out how we thought the government should 'complete' English devolution www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

How the next government should complete the job of English devolution | Institute for Government

The next government must extend devolution to 85% of England to deliver meaningful and balanced economic growth.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

1

Briony Allen @brionya.bsky.social · Dec 18

@rebeccamckee.bsky.social reflects on the mood in Westminster. Feels like it lacks a 'catchy phrase', but local government reorganisation has had a big splash. It is quite radical, with lots of positive and negative reactions. The diagnosis of the problem seems to have been welcomed.

1

Briony Allen @brionya.bsky.social · Dec 18

@tompope.bsky.social was at the launch. There was good representation from the metro mayors and councillors and there was a positive mood, although maybe a feeling there wasn't anything massively new.

1

Briony Allen @brionya.bsky.social · Dec 18

@akashpaun.bsky.social, @tompope.bsky.social, @rebeccamckee.bsky.social and @matthewfright.bsky.social are our expert panel, and for the next hour will talk through some of the themes of the English devolution white paper (EDWP). Submit, and upvote, questions you're interested in!

1

Briony Allen @brionya.bsky.social · Dec 18

If for some reason you're not able to tune into the webinar, I'll be posting some highlights below ✨

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/labour...

What does Labour’s devolution white paper mean for England? | Institute for Government

IfG experts discuss the government's plans to extend devolution across England and the challenges ahead.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

1 4 3