In this blog, Johannes Read has provided a breakdown of what the budget announcement means for the East Midlands. This blog was produced for Midlands Business Insider. Devolution in the East Midlands has come a long way in recent years. What started with announcements in 2022 and 2023 of a devolution deal to form the … Continue reading “Budget 2025: What Does the Budget mean for the East Midlands?”
Tag: Devolution
Unpicking the 2025 Budget
Johannes Read, Senior Policy and Data Analyst at the City-Region Economic Development Institute (City-REDI) outlines that announcements made in the 2025 Budget on 26th November is more about tinkering with the edges, rather than a deeper, and arguably necessary, reform. Tackling different types of challenges Football is a big part of my life. As a … Continue reading “Unpicking the 2025 Budget”
Policy Briefing: Understanding the UK’s Rise in Economic Inactivity Since 2020 Across Local Labour Markets
Donald Houston talks though key findings of the report and policy implications of a recent City-REDI paper. The University of Birmingham’s City-Region Economic Development Institute (City-REDI) has published a Research & Policy Briefing paper based on the main findings from a major project that I led funded by the Economic & Social Research Council. The … Continue reading “Policy Briefing: Understanding the UK’s Rise in Economic Inactivity Since 2020 Across Local Labour Markets”
Geographic Inequalities in an Era of Unequal Devolution
The UK has historically failed to learn important lessons from European countries on spatial rebalancing. It has recently acknowledged the need for effective local institutions and a long-term national strategy, but its asymmetric approach is unlikely to reduce geographic inequality. The failure of levelling up When the previous UK government launched its levelling up agenda … Continue reading “Geographic Inequalities in an Era of Unequal Devolution”
The Struggle for Devolution Goes On!
Professor Jonathan S. Davies evaluates the government’s agenda in light of the English Devolution White Paper. It has long been recognised that English governance is hopelessly over-centralised, with control over money and power hoarded in Westminster and Whitehall, with Towns and Cities not getting a look in. Promises from the centre to “let go” of … Continue reading “The Struggle for Devolution Goes On!”
Devolution and Civil Service Expansion in the West Midlands: A New Era of Local Governance
The Birmingham Economic Review is out now! It provides a comprehensive analysis of the city’s economy as we emerge from a period of high inflation and local, regional, and national elections, and actionable measures businesses and stakeholders from across the city-region can take to drive economic growth. Read the full Birmingham Economic Review 2024. The … Continue reading “Devolution and Civil Service Expansion in the West Midlands: A New Era of Local Governance”
The Future of Devolution Under a New Government – A Manifesto Guide
Rebecca Riley looks at the Conservative Party and Labour Party proposals for devolution. Each party’s stance on place and devolution reflects their broader political philosophies, with Labour and the Conservatives focusing on managed devolution within a united framework, while the Liberal Democrats, Greens, SNP, and Plaid Cymru push for more substantial devolved autonomy and constitutional reform. … Continue reading “The Future of Devolution Under a New Government – A Manifesto Guide”
The Future of Devolution, Accountability and Local Democracy
On 21st June, WMREDI held a hybrid seminar with Courtney Stephenson from Demos and David Hope from Coventry City Council discussing what we can learn from governance and institutional structures over the last ten years to support future economic growth. The last ten years have seen considerable change in tiers of local and regional governance … Continue reading “The Future of Devolution, Accountability and Local Democracy”
West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 12th May 2023
Latest results suggest business conditions continue to remain challenging, but estimates show small signs of positive improvement for some measures; examples include a stable proportion of businesses reporting they were able to get materials, goods and services from within the UK, and more businesses reported having fewer concerns for their business. Both the Institute of Chartered … Continue reading “West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 12th May 2023”
How England’s Devolution Catch-22 Stands in the Way of Balanced Growth
Charlotte Hoole, Jack Newman and Simon Collinson discuss their recent paper that shows a lack of decentralisation is limiting the capacity and capability of local institutions to devise and implement growth and development strategies important for locally-driven ‘levelling-up’ in England. In recent years, the UK has experienced increased economic and social inequalities. Of particular concern … Continue reading “How England’s Devolution Catch-22 Stands in the Way of Balanced Growth”