Catastrophic dangers await Burnham’s push for English devolution
Like France, the UK has always been centralised – and imposing a new political structure brings huge risks
TL;DR
- Devolution in England is anticipated to be a difficult and slow process, marked by piecemeal deals and resistance from Whitehall.
- Reorganization of local government, creating unitary authorities, is facing judicial reviews and concerns over debt division.
- There is a lack of empirical evidence to support the claim that structural reforms in local government improve services, save money, or boost economic growth.
- The financial risks associated with local councils borrowing money to 'invest' in growth initiatives are considerable and potentially catastrophic.
- Effective devolution requires changes in how public officials work, increased accountability, better inter-organizational collaboration, and greater public involvement in decision-making.