Prime Minister Andy Burnham has urged the devolved governments to work with the UK Government on giving regions and cities more control over local growth, at a meeting in Glasgow on Friday, 30 October.

Burnham met Scotland's First Minister John Swinney and Wales' First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth at the first National Economic Council dedicated to the nations, with Northern Ireland represented. The agenda covered opportunities for young people, reindustrialisation and regional empowerment.

Devolution that goes deeper

The Prime Minister said devolution by default should not be only about transferring powers from one parliament to another, but should go deeper within nations, empowering the places and communities that know best what they need to grow and access opportunities.

He said he wanted to explore closer working with the devolved governments through No10 North, his programme for rewiring the state from the north of England, to drive reindustrialisation and remove barriers to growth. In his words: “Through No10 North, we are rewiring the state. I want to make sure every city and region in the United Kingdom is part of that.”

The offer on the table

Burnham told the meeting: “Today I'll be making an offer to the governments of each nation. Put politics aside and work in partnership with the UK Government to develop models of regional empowerment that ensure communities can use their own strengths to unlock their potential.” He described this as the next stage of devolution.

The meeting follows his announcement of £1 billion of investment over the next four years in innovation clusters, intended to help high-potential regions build world-leading industries. Swinney said the council was an opportunity for the Prime Minister to turn words into action by engaging constructively with Scottish Government proposals to grow the economy, while insisting that any proposals must respect devolution in Scotland.

Sources: GOV.UK; Daily Business Group.