Looking to 2050 – new LGIU devolution research launched at Parliament

In an important week where debates were considering the budget and public services across England, this event at the House of Commons on Thursday 27th November focussed on sharing new research as part of a new partnership between LGIU and Local Partnerships.

The report Looking to 2050: The future of local government in England comes at a crucial time for the sector, as devolution and the role of local and Strategic Authorities continue to be debated by leaders in local government and by the public.

With a range of MPs, Peers, council leaders, chief executives, civil servants and senior stakeholders from across the sector in attendance, this was a wide-reaching event for LGIU and Local Partnerships to launch new research. This future-focused report is informed by a sector-wide survey across all current combined authority areas, as well as in-depth interviews with senior officials, leaders and mayors. The analysis found that while there is no shortage of evidence about what works and what doesn’t work today, there is a lack of strategic clarity about what the system is for, and how it should evolve. While the potential of Strategic Authorities is widely recognised, their purpose remains undefined.

The Chair of the APPG on Local Government, Clive Betts, MP, addressed guests on the work of the Group and the LGIU. He outlined plans for the Group to undertake an inquiry on fiscal devolution in 2026. He then introduced Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive of LGIU, who spoke of the vital importance of LGIU’s work at this time. He shared his reflections on the new report, noting that while there is enormous potential to drive growth, reform public services, and give voice to all of England’s regions through devolution, there’s a worrying lack of definition of the roles and responsibilities.

Adele Gritten, Chief Executive of Local Partnerships, outlined the roadmap for the future set out in the report, with an imperative for all to act upon the recommendations. She stressed that to secure a positive future, we must move quickly to avoid locking England into a fragmented system that cannot deliver for communities or withstand the challenges ahead.

Baroness Taylor of Stevenage concluded the speeches, sharing her interest and enthusiasm in the LGIU and Local Partnerships report launch. She also described her passion for Local Government and outlined the Government’s wide reaching agendas for reform in the sector.

It was a wonderful evening. Thank you to all our speakers and guests for making this an interesting and enjoyable local government event.