Evidence to the Communities and Local Government Committee Inquiry into the Government's Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill

This submission focusses on one specific issue outlined in the Committee’s call for evidence: ‘How the bill will build on existing local accountability structures and ensure appropriate governance mechanisms are put in place for devolved functions’. More specifically, this evidence examines appropriate governance mechanisms in the form of inter-governmental relations between Whitehall departments and emerging localities. It raises key questions about how Whitehall departmental perceptions and working practices can serve to shape inter-governmental relations and devolution in both positive and negative ways. My views are based on my own academic research that has examined English governance over the past 15 years. In particular, these insights are based on recent interviews in 2012 and 2015 with Whitehall officials charged with decentralisation in the area of economic development and regeneration policy.