Andy Burnham has unveiled a plan to decentralise English government, detailed in a cabinet paper released on Friday. The proposals aim to create a state organised around mayors as central regional economic figures.
Under the plan, mayors could gain the ability to retain income-tax and business-rate revenues. The specific amounts will be determined in the upcoming budget and spending review. Pan-regional agencies for areas such as transport, energy, investment, and industrial systems could also emerge, crossing mayoral boundaries.
Regions currently without mayors will have the opportunity to establish one or opt for more limited powers. The devolution map is set to expand, with new mayoral authorities anticipated in Cumbria, and Cheshire and Warrington in 2027, followed by southern and eastern regions in 2028. The remaining parts of the country will be offered a choice between mayoral strategic authorities with stronger powers or non-mayoral "foundation" bodies with more restricted controls.
A third aspect of the programme, previously proposed by Mr Burnham, involves a duty for English regions to pursue equivalent living conditions nationwide, modelled on Germany's Basic Law. This would involve national government redistributing resources to ensure poorer areas can provide comparable services and have meaningful investment capacity.