Burnham sends 100 Whitehall officials to regional mayors in devolution pilot
A new civil service scheme will second staff to 18 mayoral authorities, a move Deputy Prime Minister Louise Haigh describes as a significant transfer of resources away from Westminster.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a pilot programme to second more than 100 civil servants from Whitehall to support regional mayors across England. The initiative follows a “situation room” meeting convened by Burnham at No 10 North, where local leaders discussed strategies for spreading economic growth. Under the scheme, five to 10 officials will be assigned to each of 18 mayoral authorities for periods of less than a year.
The decision responds to requests made by mayors at the first meeting of Burnham’s National Economic Council at the end of the previous month. Local leaders had sought additional capacity from the centre, preferring to request specific talent rather than having officials sent to monitor struggling local authorities. Burnham stated that No 10 North was bringing together mayors from different political parties to focus on problem-solving rather than point-scoring.
Alongside the secondment programme, the government announced a new civil service fast stream pilot in Yorkshire and Humber. The “future leaders” scheme, which trains high-performing civil servants, will also be expanded to include mayoral and local authority officials. These measures are designed to bolster the administrative capabilities of regional governments.
Deputy Prime Minister Louise Haigh characterised the move as the end of “the days of Westminster hoarding power.” She described it as the biggest transition of power and resources in a generation away from Whitehall. The announcement was made during a meeting attended by cabinet ministers, including Chancellor John Healey, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, and housing minister Sally Jameson.
No 10 North, established by Burnham as one of his first acts as Prime Minister, combines parts of the Cabinet Office, Treasury, and housing ministry to drive the UK’s economy. Burnham has indicated that No 10 North will take on responsibility for driving local growth, a shift that may affect the traditional role of the Treasury. However, Chancellor John Healey described growth as a “dual mission” shared between No 11 (Treasury) and No 10 North.
Healey emphasised that the determination to see good growth in every postcode is central to the Treasury’s role as the government’s economics and finance ministry. He noted that this dual mission must become a shared endeavour of all departments in government and a collaborative effort between national, regional, and local leaders.
