Title

DEVOLUTION

The 2026 election results should not slow English devolution

If political fragmentation after this month's local elections makes delivery harder, 'the answer is stronger mayors with clearer accountability, more executive powers and capacity to act', according to Andrew Carter.

article-author
By Andrew Carter | 20 May 2026
(C) Casimiro PT / Shutterstock.com.

Every metro mayor I have spent time with, Labour and Conservative, has emphasised the same point: doing the job well means putting place before politics.

The 2026 local election results will test this perspective more than at any time since metro mayors were first elected in 2017.

Andrew Carter

Popular articles by Andrew Carter

  1. Government must match mayoral responsibility with the resources to make it real
  2. Fiscal devolution would give mayors crucial levers over tax and spend
  3. The secret of Warrington and Barnsley's success
  4. Big differences within urban Britain are a key reason why the UK economy is performing so poorly

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Andrew Carter

Popular articles by Andrew Carter

  1. Government must match mayoral responsibility with the resources to make it real
  2. Fiscal devolution would give mayors crucial levers over tax and spend
  3. The secret of Warrington and Barnsley's success
  4. Big differences within urban Britain are a key reason why the UK economy is performing so poorly
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