Do devolution differently: without LGR

Dear Prime MinisterAs professors who have spent our careers researching, publishing about and supporting local government it is refreshing, but rare, to have a Prime Minister with direct experience of elected office outside Parliament. Your views on devolution and local government and your awareness of the dismissive attitudes of ministers and civil servants to it, alongside ten years as mayor of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, provide hope that local government may soon benefit. We are interested to see how your commitment to city-region based, mayoral-led authorities, and your readiness to extend devolution to strategic authorities will develop in relation to the current role, purpose and constitutional standing of local government. Here we would contribute some ideas to ensure devolution links to your notion of ‘rewiring' our governing system.There is a danger of local government being squeezed in a two-pronged attack where devolution is focused primarily of strategic authorities and mayors, while at the same time leap-frogged by the centre determined to elevate communities and neighbourhoods above local government as somehow more authentic, if unelected and unaccountable, than local government. Devolution must extend beyond Elected Mayors and strategic authorities to existing local authorities with their wide range of service responsibilities which now require fiscal and financial devolution to be sustainable. If LGR goes ahead in the 21 shire counties over the next two to three years (33% of England's population) your capacity to deliver on vital service priorities and on your devolution agenda (what are you devolving to if councils are set to disappear?) will be severely impaired because of the upheaval, uncertainty and in-fighting involved. While communities and neighbourhoods are important elements in how people identify with places, it is necessary to reflect on how the size of councils means real places are no longer the foundation of local government. In your book, Head North, with Steve Rotheram, you highlight the importance of community and express support for a ‘place first, rather than party first', approach to governing and structure. We share your view that affinity and loyalty to a real place is a unifying force, but it is one which must be reflected in the structure of local government. You have commented that 'devolution has to be about giving local communities power', and to realise this devolution must be focused on the real places people identify with, which in turn must be the foundation of local government structure and functions. Yet, former secretary of state, Steve Reed's recent announcements on local government reorganisation sees real places becoming less and less part of local government structure. Your new secretary of State, Angela Rayner, was an enthusiastic exponent of reorganisation when she formerly held the office. But, there is no reason in theory or principle why devolution should be predicated on LGR – a quick glance across the globe, shows local authorities with more freedoms, responsibilities, powers, constitutional protection and financial security than in England and on a much smaller size. 50 years of independent academic research shows that increasing local government size – making it more remote, distant and anonymous from communities and real places – is no guarantee of improved performance or efficiency. Civil servants may pour their spirit into your ear that bigger is better, while ignoring the role that devolution could play in making local government better without LGR.If LGR goes ahead in the 21 shire counties over the next two to three years (33% of England's population) your capacity to deliver on vital service priorities and on your devolution agenda (what are you devolving to if councils are set to disappear?) will be severely impaired because of the upheaval, uncertainty and in-fighting involved. At the very least, delay LGR until 2029, to enable your other plans to be implemented. At best, launch a Commission or Inquiry to explore how local government operates overseas and maintains a size close to real places as there are lessons there about strengthening local government's constitutional standing. Your interest in the German federal system and basic law would only translate to England with recognition of the tiered nature of the system of Government in Germany (tiered local government is replicated almost exclusively as a system across Europe). We need to know why Germany manages with almost 11,500 units of local government (municipalities and counties) along with 16 federal States and why, across Europe, local government is generally smaller than in England. Pausing, preferably halting, LGR would enable you to put into action your commitment to long-term planning, rather than short-termism; a commitment which would include your wish to introduce a written constitution and a basic law. Article 28(2) of the German basic law is particularly pertinent to your agenda: ‘Municipalities must be guaranteed the right to regulate all local affairs on their own responsibility within the limits prescribed by the laws. Within the limits of their functions designated by a law, associations of municipalities shall also have the right of self-government in accordance with the laws. The guarantee of self-government shall extend to the bases of financial autonomy; these bases shall include the right of municipalities to a source of tax revenues based upon economic ability and the right to establish the rates at which these sources shall be taxed'.A similar law for England has major implications for LGR and it is premature, particularly when the majority of the proposed UAs bear little or no resemblance to the city regions, or real places, you are rightly supporting. As an example, we offer the US State of Wyoming with its 23 counties and 96 municipalities and population of around 587,000; contrast this to the new East and West Surrey unitaries with populations of around 560,000 and 650,000 respectively. With this one example we see how far local government has been distanced from the real places and communities of which you speak with pride. It is time to end LGR for good. Steve Leach is emeritus professor of local government, De Montfort University and Colin Copus is emeritus professor of local politics, De Montfort University (visiting professor Ghent University)

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Do devolution differently: without LGR

By Steve Leach, Colin Copus | 14 August 2026

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