Report

A new deal for England

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at how the next government should complete the job of English devolution.

This report calls on the next government to reset the English devolution agenda and puts forward 30 proposals – which can and should be implemented over the next five years – to complete a “job half done” with a new deal for England.

Metro mayors have already shown how they can improve regional economic performance – by improving transport systems, investing in training for the jobs of the future or leading major urban renewal projects. But the map of English devolution is an incomplete patchwork of mismatched deals, the powers and funding devolved are still inadequate for the job at hand, and the entire devolution agenda is vulnerable to shifting Westminster priorities.

Completing the English devolution map, expanding the powers of existing mayors and putting devolution on a firmer footing would help a Conservative government revitalise its stalled levelling up objectives or a Labour government achieve its long-term mission to deliver sustained growth.