Devolution
Devolution means giving more power and decision-making authority to local and regional governments.
It's about shifting power away from the central government in Westminster and putting it in the hands of people closer to the communities they serve.
For Staffordshire, this means:
- A stronger voice and a seat at the table in shaping national projects.
- Greater influence to lobby for funding and investment.
- Opportunities to lead on initiatives that matter locally.
Some of the key features of the government’s plans for devolution are:
- Strategic Authorities: These are groups of local councils working together to cover larger areas. Think of them as regional governing bodies. Many areas already have Combined Authorities, which would become Strategic Authorities. The government’s goal is to eventually have Strategic Authorities covering all of England. A single Staffordshire Strategic Mayoral Authority would ensure our county is no longer overlooked – giving us the recognition and influence we deserve.
- Mayors: The government strongly believes in having directly elected mayors to lead these Strategic Authorities. They see mayors as strong, visible leaders who can drive change and be held accountable by the public.
- Funding: Strategic Authorities, particularly those led by mayors, would receive more funding from central government. This would give them more control over how money is spent locally.
- Powers: Devolution would give Strategic Authorities more control over key areas that affect people's lives, things like transport, housing, skills, and economic development.
- While devolution remains one of the governments ambitions, recent policy developments show a move away from genuine devolution in favour of Local Government Reorganisation.
