Northerners will no long be 'dictated' by Whitehall, Rayner says
Lancashire, Greater Lincolnshire, Hull and East Yorkshire are being promised greater powers through devolution deals
Last updated 21st Sep 2024
Angela Rayner has committed to making "irreversible" changes to devolution laws in order to ensure that Northerners will no longer be "dictated" by Whitehall.
The Deputy Prime Minister, who also has responsibility for housing, communities and local government, has pledged to deliver devolution across the whole of the North of England.
Speaking ahead of her speech opening the Labour Conference on Sunday, Ms Rayner said she intends to hand power back to areas such as Lancashire, Greater Lincolnshire, Hull and East Yorkshire through devolution deals.
Ms Rayner said: "For 14 years, the over-centralised Westminster-knows-best attitude of the Tories left millions of people left behind, neglected, ignored and invisible. Britain's economy has been held back and dragged down by their failed trickle-down experiment.
"This Labour Government will harness the potential in our economy, handing power back and putting communities in control, so innovation and growth can bloom in every part of the country.
"Our devolution revolution will shift power away from Westminster, reigniting the fires of our economy, unleashing investment and driving economic growth by trusting in our local leaders who know their areas best.
"I have seen how in my own patch, devolution has put rocket fuel under local pride. We have the power to do things in a Manchester way, but we want to support other communities to do things their own way.
"This is about restoring trust in politics and respecting people with skin in the game to make decisions for their own area.
"We will be the Government that completes devolution in the North. This shift will change the future of the North of England like nothing else.
"Northerners will no longer be dictated to from Whitehall. The change will be irreversible, there is no going back and I will get it done."
In July's King's Speech, the Government committed to bringing forward an English Devolution Bill to deliver on its manifesto commitment on devolution.