Angela Rayner vows to make 'irreversible' changes in 'devolution revolution' for northern England
20 September 2024, 22:57
Angela Rayner has vowed to make 'irreversible' changes as part of a 'devolution revolution' for northern England.
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The Deputy PM pledged to deliver devolution across the whole of the North of England.
Speaking ahead of her speech opening the Labour party conference, Ms Rayner said that she would change laws in order to ensure that Northerners are no longer "dictated" by Whitehall.
Power will be handed back to areas such as Lancashire, Greater Lincolnshire, Hull and East Yorkshire through devolution deals, she said.
"For 14 years, the over-centralised Westminster-knows-best attitude of the Tories left millions of people left behind, neglected, ignored, and invisible," Ms Rayner said.
"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."
It comes after the government committed to bringing forward an English Devolution Bill as part of the King's speech in July.
