Rewiring the state, reimagining power 

We are on the cusp of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform how power works in England. But will that power reach councils and communities?

Why now? 

The Cabinet Office’s Rewiring the State sets out a vision of unprecedented ambition for shifting power and resources away from Whitehall, drive good growth and create public services that better respond to people’s lives. We welcome this opportunity and want to see it deliver on its potential. But the key to doing so will be in addressing some fundamental questions: how will communities access and benefit from this newly shifted power, and what role will local government play in connecting them to it?

Why it matters

Our thinking starts from a simple point: national, regional and local government will always have their own essential role to play. In working alongside the members of both our local and strategic authority networks we have seen the difference that regional leadership and collaboration can make on the ground in places, and what good collaboration between the tiers of government looks like. 

The real opportunity here is not simply to change who holds power but how that power is exercised, how institutions and parts of government work together and how communities are empowered to shape their own futures. Local government must be central to that transformation.

Since the summer, we have been listening closely to our local and strategic authority members, to our partners and to other radical, progressive leaders across our networks: exploring the role that local government must play in a rewired state, and what the forthcoming White Paper needs to deliver to enable this role. Drawing on these conversations and our wider practice and research work, we have distilled four key messages for government about how to realise the full potential of devolution by ensuring local government and communities can play their part. 

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