Devolution, mayors and the pandemic

What has 2020 told us about the kind of devolution we need?

The pandemic has highlighted both the strengths and the weaknesses in the way devolution works in the UK’s highly-centralised state. Recent events in Greater Manchester have trained a spotlight on the city’s Mayor and on the nature of the relationship between Mayors, other city leaders and central government.

This event, hosted in partnership with Centre for Cities, took stock of the year’s events from the point of view of policy, media and central government, and considered the degree to which devolution as its stands is in a fit state to help places recover when the time comes.

Speakers included:

  • Professor Francesca Gains, Professor of Public Policy, University of Manchester
  • Simon Jones, partner at Headland and former Special Adviser at the Department for Transport and Number 10

 

This event was recorded on 3 December 2020.