By Paul Marinko Two leading Brownite ministers have hit out at the idea of city regions and hinted that the chancellor will drastically alter course on local government, if he becomes prime minister. In a New Local Government Network (NLGN) policy paper to be launched next week, the economic and financial secretaries to the Treasury – Ed Balls and John Healey – shun city regions, call for an enhanced role for regional development agencies, and revive the idea of elected regional assemblies. Mr Balls is Gordon Brown’s closest adviser, while Mr Healey is responsible for regional economic development at the Treasury, and their views indicate the chancellor of the exchequer will take a very different approach to regionalism from the current government, if he enters Number 10. The two ministers say: ‘The strategic leadership shown by regional development agencies demonstrates how working regionally can reap rewards. ‘Some supporters of devolution view the 2004 “no” vote [on setting up elected regional assemblies] in the North East as a reflection of the need for caution on regional thinking – and propose a shift in powers and accountability from the regions to new “city regions”. We must approach this debate with care.’ They say they are ‘very sceptical’ of the view ‘city region-wide elected mayors’ are the way forward for regionalism, adding that the success of the London model may not easily be applied to other parts of the country. Current local government secretary, Ruth Kelly, and her predecessor, Blairite environment secretary, David Miliband, have both been pushing the case for city regions. Ms Kelly used a speech in Bristol last month to back the emergence of city regions with elected mayors. The new pamphlet, Evolution and devolution in England: how regions strengthen our towns and cities, also reveals a Brown Government is likely to revive the idea of elected regional assemblies. It says, ‘... while the “no” vote in the North East has prevented regional assemblies from forming for the time being, the legislation remains on the statue books, capable of being triggered and the question put at a time in the future’. The paper moots the idea of setting up ‘select committee-style bodies for each region’ to take evidence from regional players, but also suggests reform of the House of Lords could play a part, with the chamber acting as a mouthpiece for local and regional government ‘into the heart of the legislative process’. Co-author and NLGN director, Chris Leslie, pointed out that the ministers were writing in a personal capacity, but added: ‘This shows a pragmatic and sophisticated way of thinking that says while city regions are great in some areas, they can’t be the solution for all of England.’ p.marinko@hgluk.com
