The East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) has linked up with a leading think tank to make the case for deeper devolution across England.
Independent think tank Re:State has launched the Devo Next Initiative, a new programme, it says, which is “designed to define the next era of English devolution and set out a long-term vision for a far more decentralised State”.
The initiative brings together five Mayoral Strategic Authorities – Greater Manchester, North East, West Midlands and West Yorkshire, as well as EMCCA – to “collectively shape the next steps for devolution and articulate an ambitious end state for a more empowered, place-led England, capable of driving regional growth and promoting public service reform”.
Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward said: “Devolution has already shown what places can achieve when decisions are made closer to the people they affect. For the East Midlands Combined County Authority, the next step is about delivering real, everyday improvements for residents and businesses.
“That’s why I’m proud that EMCCA is joining the Devo Next Initiative, to help shape a long-term vision for deeper devolution across England.”
The initiative’s work will develop proposals for new tax powers, public services, ways that places can take on work currently ‘owned’ by Whitehall or central ‘quangos’, and the best scale and boundaries of regional bodies.
Dr Simon Kaye, Re:State director of policy and research, said: “Devolution may yet be this Government’s most radical legacy. But progress up to now could still easily be reversed. There is no single shared vision about where the agenda should go next. Without that, the sector risks fragmentation, incrementalism, and missed opportunities. This initiative will fill that gap, shaping the debate with the aim of changing England for good.”
Caroline Simpson, Greater Manchester Combined Authority group chief executive, said: “This is an important moment for English devolution. The question is no longer whether it works, but how we take it further and make it work everywhere.
“The Devo Next Initiative is a valuable opportunity for places to come together, share evidence and experience, and shape a clear, practical vision for what the next phase of devolution should look like. This kind of collective, system‑wide thinking will be essential if devolution is to deliver lasting benefits for communities across England.”
Re:State is an independent, non-party think tank dedicated to systemic reform of the State to deliver better outcomes and improved public services.
Its Devo Next Initiative comes as recent progress – described by Government as a “devolution revolution” – has seen the expansion of sub-regional Strategic Authorities, the introduction of ‘integrated settlements’ in the West Midlands and Greater Manchester, and new commitments to introduce a “right to request” further powers and some amount of tax-raising and tax-retention powers to the regions.
Where should devolution go next? Click here for more about why Re:State has set up the Devo Next Initiative.
Published on: 31 March 2026
Categories: News, Economic Development