Almost all political parties run on the promise of ceding power. But there are signs that Keir Starmer’s Labor Party is taking the issue more seriously than other parties.
The UK’s devolution bill featured prominently in the King’s Speech, with a promise to make devolution the ‘default’ option. And it is certainly significant that one of Starmer’s first acts, just a week after becoming Prime Minister, was to invite 11 of England’s local mayors to breakfast in Downing Street.
Perhaps more importantly, Starmer’s commitment to decentralization does not simply stem from an abstract belief in local empowerment. He has made it clear that Labour’s big mission is to get economic growth back on track, and believes devolution is essential to doing so – as evidenced by the recently published Industrial Strategy Green Paper. Emphasizes the point.
The argument here is simple and appears to have wide support among experts across party lines. The UK still maintains the most centralized system of government. But regions with strong and responsible local leaders are best placed to unleash development, build homes and infrastructure, grow cities and deliver the skills systems the UK economy so desperately needs. This means that the government and local governments are empowered.
Central governments are too distant and too siled to understand regional and local opportunities, create vision, build partnerships and attract investors, hindering regeneration and growth. It’s taking place.
So what powers should be delegated to local governments? Labor is somewhat vague on this point, but has discussed giving it more responsibility for strategic planning, transport, skills and health and care services, among other areas. The mayor also wants more power to design and set taxes.
However, I would like to make a case for one important but largely overlooked candidate: research funding.
National assets, regional impact
Everyone agrees that British universities are one of the UK’s greatest assets. They perform very well in international league tables and are able to attract students and research professionals from all over the world. Investment in the UK is below the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development standards, and this is one of the main reasons why the UK economy is struggling. However, government investment in academic research is relatively high.
Many of the UK’s major research and higher education institutions are located in the south-east of England, particularly in the ‘Golden Triangle’ of London, Oxford and Cambridge. But Britain’s university assets are perhaps more evenly distributed across the country than, say, great cultural institutions or prestigious companies. And we can incorporate good, locally focused university policies into this.
There is also a growing appreciation for the role that universities can play in supporting the revitalization of local economies. Universities, especially when working in partnership with local authorities, can help create innovative start-ups, support public and private sector research and development, and develop future-proof skills to support an increasingly research- and knowledge-intensive UK economy. can be promoted.
However, academic research funding remains highly centralized, at least in England (and to some extent in Scotland and devolved Wales and Northern Ireland), directed by central government and controlled by UK Research Investment (UKRI). are. UKRI spends over £8 billion a year in the UK. London alone earns around £1.6 billion a year. This represents 15 per cent of Transport for London’s budget. Or more than was spent each year on the construction of the Elizabeth Line. However, local authorities have no say in this matter.
Benefits of delegating research funds
There could be significant benefits if the Mayor of London, metropolitan mayors, and other regions and local authorities could be more involved in how local academic funding is spent.
First, by giving cities and regions more say in academic funding, they can leverage research and innovation funding to solve important policy challenges. Despite many efforts to foster closer collaboration between researchers and policymakers, they continue to struggle to break down silos. A greater role for local authorities in academic funding could quickly change this, giving cities the resources to direct research to address their priorities.
Second, it will be easier for academics and city governments to co-design research and innovation programs that use the city as the best testing ground or testing ground, producing commercial products and other products and services that can be exported elsewhere. may be produced. For example, it is possible to design city-university partnerships to research and develop approaches to retrofitting homes, or to develop and test skills programs for older, low-wage workers. But it would be much easier if city governments had research and innovation funds to invest in these projects.
Third, cities can mediate relationships between researchers and businesses and leverage funding to support research and innovation clusters, potentially fostering local and regional economic growth.
To its credit, UKRI is increasingly using its grants to foster closer collaboration between researchers, local authorities and business, particularly through support for four regional policy and innovation partnerships. I am. However, while things are currently going well, local governments are playing a marginal role at best.
Of course, we will need to think carefully about how to give urban areas a greater say in academic funding. In the UK, this funding is based on the Haldane Principle, which states that politicians should not be directly involved in funding decisions, and this should definitely apply to local government as well. Large areas like London may be able to justify separate funding councils on the Scottish model, but creating one for all combined authorities would be cumbersome and inefficient. There is a high possibility that it is.
But it’s not hard to think of more agile options. For example, UKRI could allocate part of its budget to be set in dialogue with Mayors’ Union authorities. Or, more radically, a subcommittee could be created within each mayor’s federation authority, chaired by each mayor.
The important point is that universities, urban centers and academic funding bodies need to think seriously about where academic funding fits in with the new government’s ‘growth through decentralization’ position.
Have you started thinking deeply about this topic as a researcher, policy expert, university or policy organization in London? If so, the London Research and Policy Partnership would love to hear your thoughts and plans.
