Following deputy Prime Minster, Angela Rayner’s announcement in Parliament yesterday that the Isle of Wight council had been accepted on the fast-track Priority Programme for early devolution discussions, it emerges that fewer than half the councils who applied were successful.
The announcement came with the news that May’s council elections would be postponed until 2026.
Countless hours spent to meet the deadline
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive of the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU), a not-for-profit, non-partisan membership organisation, said,
“Yesterday’s announcement will get a mixed reception within the sector. Those areas that have been selected for the Devolution Priority Programme will be pleased, others may feel rather bruised.
“Councils were given 16 working days to put their applications together for the Devolution Priority Programme. Countless hours were spent by council staff and elected members who worked incredibly hard over the Christmas period to meet this deadline.
“Yesterday, we found out that fewer than half have been successful.”
Carr: Significant political, financial and logistical obstacles to overcome
He went on to say,
“It is essential that we understand more about the decision making process around this as there will undoubtedly be some places that feel they have been marched up the hill and then marched down again having spent considerable amounts of time and political capital getting to this point.
“For those areas that are going forward there remain significant political, financial and logistical obstacles to overcome. While a route to devolution remains open to them, they will have to work hard to maintain momentum.
“The Government has been keen to stress that devolution is about empowering local areas. Right now, it doesn’t feel that way. So far the process has been about central government setting out the rules of the game and picking winners. This is an irony we will need to resolve.”
Jordan: The devolution proposal is incredibly promising
Following Angela Rayner’s announcement, Isle of Wight council leader, Phil Jordan, said,
“Devolution would shift more of these policy-making powers and additional funding to local authorities such as the Isle of Wight Council.
“This change is expected to provide greater local control over vital areas such as major transport infrastructure, and health services, giving residents more power to shape the things that are important to them and ensuring robust local accountability.
“By collaborating across political parties and engaging with local communities, we can ensure we secure the best possible outcomes for our residents.
“The devolution proposal is incredibly promising, with the potential to deliver significant advantages to local residents and businesses.”
