Government to establish Council of Regions and Nations in plan to “reset” relationship with local government

The Prime Minister has told metro mayors that he will set up a Council of Regions and Nations in order to allow ministers and mayors to meet regularly.

The comments came in a meeting this morning between Sir Keir and the country's metro mayors, which aimed to kickstart discussions on a major devolution programme and a "full reset" of Whitehall's relationship with local government.

According to a report from The Guardian, Sir Keir said: "We will set up a council for regions and nations.

"Now, I don't want to overly formalise it, but I do want a degree of formality so that it's a meeting that everybody knows is a meeting where business is done, where decisions are properly recorded and actioned."

He noted that he will not send substitutes to the new body or miss the meeting.

Labour previously detailed the proposed council in its manifesto, describing it as a body that will bring together the Prime Minister, the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales, the First and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, and the Mayors of Combined Authorities.

Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive of the LGIU, welcomed the news, stating that the unit has "long-called for a senate of mayors and council leaders".

Carr-West added that the Council of Regions and Nations needs to find a way to include locally elected leaders in areas not covered by a combined authority and metro mayor.

He said: "While this is a very positive start, we eagerly await more detail, in particular how the Council aligns with the newly named Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government."

He also called for power and money to flow from Whitehall into the regions, "while also giving them a say in how devolution is rolled out".

His comments came after the Chair of the County Councils Network complained on Saturday (6 July) that county leaders were not invited to this morning's meeting at 10 Downing Street.

The chairman of the District Councils' Network, Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen, said that, while the organisation welcomes the early commitment to scaling up devolution, the Government should give district councils "a full seat at the table as part of an inclusive approach with all local partners".

A Government statement released ahead of the meeting said the mayors would discuss a new partnership approach and agree on early actions needed to scale up devolution.

The statement also noted that the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner, who was also in attendance, was set to discuss the process of establishing local growth plans across the country and to call on mayors to identify local specialisms, and contribute to work on a national industrial strategy.

She also announced that the Government's "door is open" to areas that want to take on devolution for the first time.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "My fundamental belief is that those with skin in the game are the ones who know best what they need. That's why, for many years, I have been in constant dialogue with metro mayors across the country about what works for their areas, and I will continue that now as Prime Minister. 

"It's also why I've made it a priority to meet with all metro mayors in my first week as Prime Minister.

"By resetting these crucial relationships and putting more power in the hands of local leaders, I'm determined to make sure they have the support they need to play their part in delivering economic growth in every part of the country."

Rayner meanwhile said: "It's time to take back control, and this new government is focused on setting that potential free, with a full reset of our relationship with local government."

She added that work will now continue "at pace" to deliver on the party's manifesto commitments to transfer power out of Whitehall, "with upcoming devolution legislation to take back control".

All 12 metro mayors attended the meeting at 10 Downing Street bar Oliver Coppard, the Mayor of South Yorkshire, who had to pull out after testing positive for Covid-19.

In a letter to Sir Keir, Coppard welcomed the commitment to more devolution.

Tracy Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire, meanwhile said the meeting marked "a welcome step change" in the relationship between mayors and Government, and a recognition of the role mayors play in driving change.

She said the group had a "productive discussion about how we will grow our economies and put money back into people's pockets, build new homes and improve local transport".

A spokesperson for the Mayor of Liverpool Combined Authority, Steve Rotheram, said he spoke about how mayors can be the "delivery arm" to help the new Government "hit the ground running".

While Kim McGuinness, Mayor of the North East, said she called for more devolution to her area in the meeting.

Speaking with an LBC reporter following the meeting, the country's only non-Labour Mayor, Conservative Ben Houchen, said he wants to work with Starmer's Government "to get things done".

Adam Carey