Title

A s we wait for the Rewiring the State White Paper, what should be the role of councils in a rewired and re-energised state?It is rare that a government announces its intention to transform the state and to put the local state at the heart of national ambition. In his speech on the steps of Downing Street in July, the Prime Minister said: ‘We will take power out of here and carry it into every postcode in the land so that they can do more.'These ambitions were reinforced in the Cabinet statement, Rewiring the State, on 31 July. Local government should seize the opportunity to be at the centre of this rewiring.At the heart of the policy is the relationship the Prime Minister had as Greater Manchester mayor with the councils and other public services that made ‘Manchesterism' an example of what collaboration could do.Rewiring the state should offer us the chance to work collaboratively across tiers and geographies while representing the unique facets of each locality.Those of us employed in the local state need to be focusing on how we can contribute to making this devolution drive a success and try to look beyond our short-term pressures. It will be too easy for a legitimate complaint about underfunding to be heard as a lack of willingness.For me, an ideal model recognises the history, geography and demography of the places that each council represents and the role of councillors in decision-making, not just about local services, but also the way national policy is interpreted and made real locally, particularly around the ambition to bring growth to every postcode.We know the Government's ambitions around growth and economic regeneration as well as housebuilding and energy supply will not be popular everywhere.Decisions mandated from Whitehall can feel like impositions, but involving councils as representatives and advocates allows the state to function more effectively by making decisions that are negotiated, palatable and understood locally.With every government programme, even one promising to move power out of Whitehall, there is a temptation to pull control to the centre as a perceived shortcut to results. We need to demonstrate that the instincts of Manchesterism and Rewiring the State are correct – that local empowerment and collaboration offer the best chance of bringing prosperity to every postcode and enabling every community to feel it has a voice and a stake.Those of us employed in the local state need to be focusing on how we can contribute to making this devolution drive a success and try to look beyond our short-term pressures. It will be too easy for a legitimate complaint about underfunding to be heard as a lack of willingness.Councils have reservoirs of expertise, knowledge and operational skills that could never be matched by a government department. We need to bring those forward and demonstrate we can make the difference and as a sector we need to be investing in the skills of councillors and officers to help make that happen.We are service deliverers, advocates for our community and conveners of our place.Rewiring the State has the potential for councils to use their legitimacy and influence to shape local services to achieve better value for the public purse as well as the objectives of government. This reflects the goals of the Total Place programme launched in 2009 to redesign public services around the needs of local communities.How mayors interpret Rewiring the State will be key. If they are conveners, bringing local authorities together and respecting the local dynamic, we will see powerful collaboration. Each place will have its own interpretation and success will come where places differentiate themselves while being confident they are contributing to the national aim.The way mayors deploy their new powers over skills and vocational training will be an early test of this.In London, where I work, there is the challenge of a mayoralty which was not established as a combined authority and where collaboration and co-operation need to be worked at.There is, of course, a tension between delivering services close to people and regional structures which are intended to devolve from Whitehall.Ideally, mayors will be recognised as being primarily accountable to their communities for their new spending responsibilities, similar to the way government departments are accountable to Parliament.Regional structures should not end up being used to constrain the White Paper's ambitions by setting targets and frameworks around how it will all work. That would be devolved administration, not devolution.The foundations of the policies we expect to see in Rewiring the State are the issues we grapple with every day – the combination of place-shaping, service delivery and accountability.Local government can now claim its place in the rewired state as a leader, enabler and collaborator, bringing together national ambition and local delivery.Helen Bailey is chief executive of Sutton LBC

Title

REWIRING LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Local state, national ambition

By Helen Bailey | 22 October 2026

Popular articles by Helen Bailey

SUBSCRIBE TO CONTINUE READING

Popular articles by Helen Bailey