Devolution: What we are doing and Why

As mentioned in my previous post, here’s what I set out to the County Council in last Thursday’s debate on the proposal for us to join the Devolution Priority Programme. You can find the full webcast of the debate on KCC’s website.

KCC has also set up a devolution webpage, with some explanations, links to documents and a video that I have recorded about devolution.

This is the most momentous decision for this Council in many, many years. It is a decision for Cabinet, and Cabinet will meet later today to take it. But for a decision of this kind, it is right that County Council considers it in full and that all Members are engaged.

We have got here through a strong partnership, on a cross-party basis, with our colleagues in Medway and an inclusive approach to working with District and Borough Councils that is matched in few if any parts of the country.

The question before us is whether or not we, along with Medway Council, apply to join the Devolution Priority Programme, resulting in the creation of a Mayoral Combined Authority and a mayoral election in May 2026. Everything else flows from that choice.

I believe we should.

That is because:

Devolution is coming. The only question is how far we shape it, or let others shape it for us.

It is, or soon will be, a reality across the country. Others are moving fast.

And there are great opportunities for us, and for the residents we represent, in devolution. We need to seize them.

 Mayoral devolution is a very settled government policy. It was the policy of the last administration. Within a fortnight of the new government being formed, a letter from the Deputy Prime Minister to local government leaders made clear that this was their policy too, and in a more comprehensive and systematic way.

At the LGA conference, the minister, Jim McMahon, made it utterly clear that this was a structured policy for England as a whole – with no orphan areas. 

And in local government reorganisation, which came up fast on the rails in the weeks before the publication of the White Paper, all remaining two-tier areas are expected to submit initial unitary proposals by March. Whether you are in the Devolution Priority Programme or not, that issue is going to be on the table.

I think we know that change is coming. And who here, in their heart of hearts, believes – really believes - that in three, four, five years’ time we will be carrying on just as we are?

 So the sooner we engage with this, the more scope we have to shape it. The sooner we engage, the sooner we can give the clarity that we owe to our residents, our staff and our organisations.

 We also need to look beyond our own boundaries. Over the last decade, and steadily gathering pace, mayoral authorities have become part of the national landscape.

Look at a map, and draw a line from the Mersey to the Wash: almost everything north of that, with Cumbria the main exception, either has or is on track for a mayoral authority.

And now we know that across the south, and among our neighbours, letters are going in to apply to the Devolution Priority Programme. That map is likely to look much more complete, and pretty soon. Every one of those areas with access to the powers, the funding and the national voice that Kent would be missing out on.

And above all, we should enter the Devolution Priority Programme because of those benefits – why should we not secure them for the nearly 2 million residents of Kent and Medway as quickly as possible?

 And if we do take that step, the final part of the recommendation today notes the implications of joining the Devolution Priority Programme for the County Council elections.

This is not something that we initiated

It is not something that we will decide

It is not something that I relish

In his letter of 16 December, the minister stated that, to deliver both devolution and reorganisation according to the exacting schedules of the Devolution Priority Programme, he was minded to lay secondary legislation to postpone local elections from May 2025 to May 2026.

That decision will be made by ministers, but they require a request from councils for this to be considered.

I recognise that this goes against the grain for all of us whose role here rests on our democratic electoral mandates. But across the country there are many precedents for postponement when you have profound structural change – we saw several at the time of the 2021 elections – and we must be clear that this is not an indefinite extension of County Councillors’ terms, running for up to three years beyond our mandate. That would be neither acceptable nor feasible, and there are different options under which we stick to a much more tightly limited deferral.

It is clear that there is a very tight link indeed between participation in the DPP and the decision that the minister is minded to take. It is also hard, if not impossible to see how supporting a government-led consultation that would run very close to, or quite probably into the pre-election period, developing reorganisation proposals and negotiating with government can be carried out according to what the minister calls ‘the most ambitious time frame’ in a pre-election and election period.

So submitting that request is a logical corollary of joining the DPP, and if we make the application to join then it is my intention to submit that request to government, which ministers will then decide.

 We don’t need to be cheerleaders for every aspect of this process, least of all the timetable. I’m also utterly realistic about how government departments will fight to hold on to their powers. We have got to establish the right relationship between a strong mayor and strong unitary authorities, complementing each other’s roles. There are huge risks and challenges in relation to reorganisation. There are some real questions as to how bigger councils can still be local, and – yes – there are losses, not least the one hundred and thirty six year history and identity of this council.

But however glorious that past, our present is unsustainable. We cannot go on as we are. Because of national policy decisions – for example, the loss of strategic planning – and the constant pressure of people services, we don’t have the funding, the capacity or even the headspace to be the strategic authority that Kent needs. The same goes for upper tier authorities up and down the land.

That is what I have seen in my years in this place. And that is why, more than two years ago, I changed my mind about mayoral devolution.

A Mayoral Strategic Authority – on the building block of an elected mayor and of strong unitary authorities – has the space to deliver that strategic role in transport, planning, economic development, public service reform - while kept separate from the people services pressures that consume councils.

The devolution offer builds on, but goes beyond what was put forward by the previous government. More powers in transport, including – critically – rail. In skills and employment, where in Kent and Medway we have a successful base to build on with the Employment Task Force and our relationship with DWP. In strategic planning, which we desperately need to ensure that, where there is development, the infrastructure comes with it. And Kent and Medway is perfectly placed to maximise the benefits of public service reform – joining up services, getting the best value for the Kent pound, building a partnership with greater democratic input with the NHS – because of our common boundaries with police, fire, health and more.

With that come dedicated investment funds, and more importantly a decisive move away from the competitive, penny piece funding pots that we have all deplored to much greater discretion and – after we achieve Established Mayoral Strategic Authority status – the integrated settlements pioneered by Greater Manchester and the West Midlands. We can catch up with those trailblazers, and fast.

The government has said that these powers – and there’s a lot there – are a floor and not a ceiling. Let’s take them at their word and put that to the test.

It is those round the national table who will shape the future development of devolution. I want Kent’s voice in that debate, and as soon as we establish a Mayoral Strategic Authority, we will have that voice through membership of the Mayoral Council and the Council of Nations and Regions.

 To end where I began, the fundamental decision before us – whether or not to apply to the Priority Programme – is as big a choice as any we have confronted in our service here.

In approaching that choice, I say to all Members:

Recognise that we cannot go on as we are

Lift our eyes to the opportunities of something different and better

And resolve that we, in this county, seize the moment and shape that future. 

Devolution: debate and decision

 

On Thursday (9 January), County Council debated Kent’s response to the English Devolution White Paper. Following this, Cabinet took the decision to apply for the Devolution Priority Programme (DPP). The next day, the Leader of Medway Council, Vince Maple and I submitted a letter to government making that application.

Given the importance of the topic, it was right that it was debated in full, and the council meeting was well over four hours. You can find the webcast of both the Council meeting and the Cabinet meeting on the KCC website.

Those parts of the country that are accepted onto the DPP will be on an accelerated track to deliver a Mayoral Strategic Authority, which brings together an elected Mayor with the councils within that area. This would mean a mayoral election in May 2026.

Alongside that will go a programme of local government reorganisation, to take effect in April 2027 or April 2028, replacing Kent County Council, Medway Council and Kent’s twelve District and Borough Councils with a number of unitary councils.

In my opening presentation to the council meeting, I argued that:

• Devolution is coming. The only question is how far we shape it, or let others shape it for us.

• It is, or soon will be, a reality across the country. Others are moving fast.

• And there are great opportunities for us, and for the residents we represent, in devolution. We need to seize them.

Those opportunities include funding streams (and, perhaps more importantly, much greater freedom and discretion over the funding that we are allocated), powers in key areas such as transport, strategic planning, skills, environment and economic development and a national level voice through membership of new bodies such as the Council of Nations and Regions (chaired by the Prime Minister) and the Mayoral Council (chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister).

There is every prospect that, if we do not take up the opportunities of the DPP, many others will and large parts of the country will have access to funding, powers and national voice that is denied to Kent.

Inevitably, and in many ways understandably, a lot of attention has focused on the other element of the motions debated at Council and Cabinet on Thursday: to request from ministers a one year delay to County Council elections scheduled for May. This was, however, something that followed from and is closely linked to the application to join DPP. The minister set out before Christmas that he was ‘minded to’ take the measures necessary to postpone the elections so that areas can deliver both devolution and reorganisation according to the very demanding schedules set out under the Devolution Priority Programme.

The conclusion reflected in the County Council motion and Cabinet decision was that, to ensure that devolution with all its benefits is delivered according to the DPP schedule, the Council would write to ministers to apply for this deferral. This is not an approach that sits easily with me, or any Councillor, but we were persuaded that it was necessary to deliver devolution. Other councils in the same position appear to have come to the same conclusion.

It's also worth noting that there have been a number of previous examples where council elections have been deferred to deliver very wide-ranging changes to council structures and organisation: the most recent examples are those of Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Somerset in 2021.

I wouldn’t normally do this, but I will in a separate post set out the full text of the speech I gave to Council last Thursday, along with some other links: I hope it makes clear why I believe that this is so important for the Council and for the County. 

Franks Lane bridge vandalised again

For a second time, repairs to the bridge in Franks Lane have been subject to vandalism. Following the severe damage done before Christmas, this week’s works were found to be vandalised last night (thanks again to Cllr Alan White for this picture). 

There is a significant history of vandalism on this site, but this is especially sickening. I have spoken to the KCC Structures team who have been working on this, and KCC, SDC, Police and other relevant bodies will need to come together to find a lasting resolution to this.

Franks Lane repairs

Kent Highways have notified an urgent road closure on Franks Lane, starting tomorrow for 2 days. The road will be closed at the bridge between 9:30 AM and 3 PM each day. 

This is to enable the brick parapet, damaged by vandalism shortly before Christmas, to be rebuilt and matches the timetable I was told at the time. At present, I have not heard that the works will be affected by the current severe weather, but will of course post again if that changes.

Looking back on 2024, and ahead to 2025

Here is the New Year message that I’ve written (and put out on KCC’s media hub) as we head towards 2025. It’s a bit longer than usual - but then both looking back and looking forward, there’s quite a lot to say …

As we reach the end of 2024, we have a lot of achievements to look back on – and both plans and challenges for 2025.

Just before Christmas the Government’s White Paper on devolution set out a vision for the future for local government, one that now starts us on a path of the most important and potentially transformational journeys that KCC has seen for many years. It is clear that changes will happen, and on the government’s timetable – not ours. Early in 2025 government will set out which areas belong to the priority devolution programme. It is certainly open to Kent and Medway to be part of that, and we will continue our conversations with officials and ministers.

I know that the prospect of change can be unsettling. At this very early stage it is not possible to say exactly what the changes will involve or how we may all be affected. We can however be sure that any future arrangements will have to build on our record of effective delivery, and the vital services that we provide will be needed as much or more than ever under any new arrangements.

2024 saw some remarkable work and achievements across the council. A visit from Ofsted confirmed the strength of our children’s services, rated Outstanding in 2022. We are now delivering our programme of Family Hubs; I was able to see some of this exceptional work on a visit to a family hub in Maidstone with Sue Chandler (Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services) and other colleagues. In SEND, we saw the lifting of the Improvement Notice imposed in 2023 and the continued delivery of our programme of change that is now yielding results.

Responding to the court judgments of 2023, we have built out five new reception centres for all Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking (UAS) Children arriving in Kent. On 14 November, we welcomed government ministers Dame Angela Eagle and Janet Daby to two of our Reception Centres to see first-hand the great work our staff are doing to safeguard the welfare of UAS Children and the very real challenges we continue to face in doing so.

This work has enabled us to cope with unprecedented levels of arrivals (2,728 referrals up to 20 December), while our willingness to challenge governments of whatever complexion has meant that we have shielded the Kent council taxpayer from the financial impact of this and have ensured much faster transfers (2,316 this year) of UAS Children to other Local Authorities via the National Transfer Scheme (NTS). We continue, however, to press for further changes to ensure that the system works efficiently and effectively in the future. Kent and its services must not shoulder an excessive responsibility for what is a national, and international issue.

We have deepened our collaboration between social care, public health and the NHS through the delivery plan for the Integrated Care Strategy and are developing innovative work to manage winter pressures.

We spent much of the year preparing for the introduction of the EU’s new external frontier, the Entry Exit System (EES). It was delayed just weeks before its scheduled introduction in November but our teams, working with local and national partners, had carried out detailed preparations to mitigate the potential impact on the county. This work will serve us well if, as seems likely, we see a more gradual move to the new system in 2025. Meanwhile, this summer saw a largely successful management of traffic pressures around the ports.

In spite of the continuing inadequacies of national funding for road repairs, our highways teams oversaw a major pothole blitz and are our front line in responding to severe weather and winter pressures. Our public transport team has delivered vital support for local bus services while bringing forward further development of Fastrack services at either end of the county.

I was delighted to attend the opening of a state-of-the-art Waste Transfer Station in Sevenoaks in the autumn, while our environment teams are bringing forward both the detail of Making Space for Nature and longer-term plans for environment and adaptation in our county. We have continued to press for the restoration of international train services at Ashford and Ebbsfleet, and for new nuclear at Dungeness, while also working to support the development of Discovery Park, where in August I was delighted to join the Park’s owners in welcoming Asymchem, who are establishing their European development and pilot manufacturing site there.

In July the council unanimously agreed to develop work on a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chernihiv region in Ukraine. At the invitation of the regional administration, I and colleague Cllr Jordan Meade Mead travelled there at the end of October. The short trip, at our own expense, was an opportunity to sign the agreement in person and discuss areas of further learning and cooperation. It was an unforgettable few days and there is a powerful bond between our communities.

On the Government’s decision to remove the Winter Fuel Allowance, we launched a very strong campaign with our district and borough colleagues to promote the take up of Pension Credit, which unlocks that benefit and a number of others. We then went a step further with a slice of the latest round of Household Support Fund from the Department for Work and Pensions; our Just Missing Out scheme is there for those of pension age just over the threshold who are by no means hugely affluent and will therefore be impacted by the changes.

This work is linked to our innovative and impactful Financial Hardship Programme which seeks to not only support but also build resilience in some of our most vulnerable residents. It’s an area I am proud we as a council have taken forward, utilising very specific funding opportunities in the most effective way.

Under our Securing Kent’s Future programme, we have made a lot of progress in reducing the areas of financial pressure that were so severe in 2022 and 2023. However, in common with much of local government, significant stresses and strains on our budget remain and the support we receive from central government has not kept pace with the increased pressures. We also need to see fundamental reform in the areas that generate our budget pressures: adult social care, children’s social services (in particular, placement costs) and special educational needs and disabilities. These issues of budget pressures and reform, along with devolution, will be the major themes of 2025.

My final word must be for the staff of Kent County Council who, with a quiet diligence and commitment while facing many challenges, seek to do the very best for the people of Kent day in and out. I owe them my gratitude and deeply held respect.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone in Kent a very Happy New Year.

English Devolution: big decisions ahead

The English Devolution White Paper, published at the start of last week, heralds the most radical changes to local government, and the structure of government in England, for at least fifty years. ‘At least’ because in many respects these proposals are more profound and wide-ranging than those of 1972-74, which were the foundation of our current system. Much of the last week has been caught up in work to understand, report on and respond to the White Paper - so there’s been little time to write. 

I did, however, have to report on Devolution to our County Council meeting last Thursday, and so set out some of my thoughts (see our media release). In brief, this is a massive change, full of challenges and risks, and one that will be driven by national government’s wishes rather than ours. There are also some big opportunities in this, and Kent and Medway - the historic county - is well-placed to respond to them.

In brief, the White Paper makes clear that the expected model of governance across England will be one of Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs), bringing together a directly elected Mayor with a number of councils making up a Combined Authority. This model is already in operation in many parts of the country, such as Greater Manchester (with Andy Burnham as Mayor) and the West Midlands (where my friend Andy Street served as Mayor 2017-24). The government expects this to be universal across England by the end of this Parliament. 

This much was already indicated as early as in the letter that Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner sent to upper tier (County and Unitary) Council Leaders in July, shortly after the government was formed. It was made still clearer at the Local Government Association conference in October, where the Minister of State for local government, Jim McMahon, made clear that mayoral authorities would be the essential building block of the system and that there would be ‘no orphan areas’. And, of course, there are many similarities with proposals launched (and mayoral authorities created) under the last government, when Michael Gove was the Secretary of State. 

What is new, however - and came up on the rails in the closing weeks before the launch of the White Paper - is the emphasis on local government reorganisation (LGR). In our case, that means the replacement of the two-tier (county and district council) system with one of a number of unitary councils. This too is a programme that government is determined to press forward, and is closely linked to the development of MSAs. Under the scenario of Kent and Medway being an MSA, and reorganisation accompanying it, none of today’s 14 councils - Kent County Council, Medway Council, the 12 Districts and Boroughs - would exist in their current form.

What are the possible benefits of all this? Some eighteen months ago, under the previous Conservative government, I made clear that I favoured a Mayoral solution and the form of MSA that was then on offer. The attraction of this, then and now, was that government is prepared to devolve a number of key strategic powers - across infrastructure, economic development, transport, environment, employment support and strategic planning - to MSAs. 

Local government, especially in bodies such as County Councils, has lost much of its power in this area through national policy decisions and the intense financial pressures of recent years from adult social care, children’s social services and special educational needs. This offers a way back, and with powers coming to a body that would not be hamstrung by those spending pressures.

In addition, devolution would bring a single financial settlement from government for the MSA - in contrast to the mess of smaller, sometimes competitive funding pots which councillors of all parties decry - and national level representation through a new Council of Nations and Regions.

Ministers have also emphasised what in the previous Labour government was known as Total Place, and is now called Public Service Reform: bringing public services in an area closer together to deliver better services and more value for the Kent pound. Kent and Medway is well suited to benefit from this: not only are we an area of almost 2 million people with a strong historic identity and clearly defined geography, we have the same boundaries as major public services such as Police, Fire and Rescue and Health.

It was on this basis that Kent and Medway - with a much stronger effort than in many parts of the country to ensure that all our democratically elected councils were engaged in the process - put in a strong submission to the government’s call for Expressions of Interest in the autumn. 

We now face a decision as to whether or not to be part of the Devolution Priority Programme, the group of areas that will move ahead rapidly to undertake these changes. I made clear in my report to the Council that, to my mind, there are many advantages to moving sooner rather than later, both to get the benefits of devolution (in terms of powers and funds) quickly, and to shape our own future. No decision has yet been made, however, but it will have to be by 10 January. The New Year will be off to a busy start.

Franks Lane bridge works vandalised

Many Horton Kirby residents will have seen that the works on the Franks Lane bridge, running through the week commencing 16 December, have been vandalised. This took place on Thursday, and as the picture shows (photo credit: Councillor Alan White) the new brick work has been pushed into the river.

This is the most dismal and appalling vandalism, and comes when the works were heading to completion. I have been in contact with Kent Highways officers, and contractors were due to attend and assess the damage on Friday. I was told that they plan to return during the week beginning 6 January, provided that the materials needed for the works are available. I will update when I know more.