Rayner urges “devolution revolution”

Housing secretary Angela Rayner has urged council leaders in regions without devolved powers to “partner with the government to deliver the most ambitious programme of devolution this country has ever seen”, including delivering “better housing” in local areas.

Rayner, also the new government’s deputy prime minister, has today (July 16) written to local leaders in “devolution deserts” with local knowledge and “skin in the game”, compelling them to take power over areas including housing and planning, transport, adult education and skills and employment support.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) – now retitled from the previous government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities – said the new agreements it was offering would allow councils to “make decisions that benefit their communities better, while boosting economic growth and opportunity”.

In her letter, Rayner stated that following a roundtable meeting at Number 10 last week with the 12 current metro mayors in England, she wished to “work with more places” to help them use enhanced powers to drive growth in every part of the country.

She wrote that during her meeting with the mayors, “we discussed how to have proper, grown up conversations around economic …