Resetting Intergovernmental Relations in the UK - The Council of Nations and Regions

Since taking office, Keir Starmer has committed to bringing together devolved leaders under a new structure of intergovernmental relations (IGR), namely The Council of Nations and Regions. The proposal was first coined in a 2022 report published by the Commission on the UK’s Future, chaired by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Having called out the preceding Conservative governments for failing to engage effectively and collaboratively with our devolved institutions, this Friday marks a key moment for the new Government and its pledge for ‘change’.

It's not yet apparent whether the Council will sit alongside existing IGR arranges or mark a shift in a new direction. Up until 2022, the Prime Minister met with the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales, and the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland in Joint Ministerial Committees with a supporting sub-committee structure of more junior and departmental ministers to tackle topical or granular issues. The structure came under a lot of scrutiny, particularly during the Brexit negotiations, leading to a review which in effect changed the branding but fell short of significant reform. It did, however, allow for a reset to a system eroding trust.

The most significant change from these previous forums is the inclusion of the Mayors of Combined Authorities, or Metro Mayors. Whilst previously a system to address issues as they related to our national composition, it will now become a mechanism for regular feedback from devolved leaders across England, as well as Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. This is a markedly positive step forwards for Combined Authorities but whilst greater detail on the terms of this Council are worked through and put into effect there are some challenges which the Government will have to face:

1. Political dynamics – whilst in power the Conservatives faced a challenge aligning four governments of different political persuasions. Whilst, the current composition isn’t quite as daunting for Labour, terms must be considered in respect of long term changes to political leadership and the addition of Metro Mayors.
2. Asymmetric devolution – also an issue of dynamics is the model of devolution in the UK. With greater powers granted to some regions and nations than others and much of England yet to have Combined Authorities introduced. Starmer and team will need to guard against hierarchy and respect that large parts of the UK will remain voiceless. The Government wants more decentralisation but whether this will amount to parity between devolved leaders is yet to be seen – creating an open environment will be important to the success of the Council.
3. Council structure – the Council meeting on Friday will bring a focus on next week’s Investment Summit, but Starmer has committed to greater regularity of the meetings than previously seen. The Council itself is a very senior forum, and therefore unlikely to address more granular issues of policy whilst also facing the inevitable diary constraints of the most senior politicians in the country. There will need to be mechanisms for engagement which sit underneath or beside the Council (formal or informal), a decision on how this sits alongside existing IGR arrangements, and a clear scope for the work and decision making of each.
4. Dispute resolution – overcoming differences of opinion when agreeing strategy or policy has long been an issue exacerbated by the political dynamics. The current approach which sees a phased, escalation process through representatives of each participating Government up to the apex has not worked. Separating political and legal disputes could offer a solution, whereby the latter could be assessed independently without need for court intervention on Government decisions and the latter requiring a more nuanced political approach.

?Whilst these challenges exist, an effective structure for IGR is crucial to the success of the UK as a whole – from economic growth and the net zero transition, to the delivery of effective public services and a sense of a community. The proposal from the new Government does appear to move us in this direction by providing a stronger voice for English communities and a commitment to more meaningful engagement. However, the development and execution of this IGR arrangement is critical. As we await further detail, this Friday’s meeting will act as the litmus test to Starmer’s new approach for working with the devolved authorities and taking the country forward as a whole.