Rewiring the State: From ambition to reality

The government’s Rewiring the State agenda promises a once-in-a-generation shift in how the country is governed: moving power, funding and accountability out of Whitehall, strengthening local autonomy and reshaping public services around people and place.

The ambition is significant. The challenge will be making it work.

Following on from our response and ahead of the publication of the autumn white paper, New Local, and our partners, Norse Group, are bringing together a small group of senior political and executive leaders from local government, national policymakers and public service reformers for a candid roundtable on what anew settlement means in practice.

Together, we’ll explore the choices and tensions that will determine whether these reforms deliver on their potential: the future relationships between Whitehall, strategic authorities and councils; what meaningful local autonomy should look like; how reorganisation and devolution can enable rather than distract from public service reform; and what needs to change – locally and nationally – to put prevention and communities at the heart of change.

This is an opportunity to compare perspectives across different parts of the system, challenge emerging thinking and influence the debate while the detail is still being shaped, as well as to hear directly from peers grappling with many of the same questions.

We hope you can join us for a timely conversation about turning the ambition of Rewiring the State into meaningful change for places and communities.

Join our mailing list