The UK comprises 12 separate regions, which historically comprised government office regions, but while they no longer fulfil this role, they continue to be used for statistical and administrative purposes, with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) the main source of statistical information. Nine of these regions are in England (North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, the South East and South West of England). The remaining three regions comprise the devolved nations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Since 2014, there has been a steady move towards devolution in the English regions by way of proposals for the transfer of additional central powers to local authorities, or to local areas.
The first ‘devolution deal’ was announced by the Government and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority in November 2014. Following the 2015 General Election, the then Chancellor, George Osborne, announced that powers would be devolved from Westminster to cities, giving greater control over local transport, housing, skills and healthcare. With these new powers for cities would come new city-wide elected mayors who work with local councils.
Six combined authorities held mayoral elections in May 2017, with a further election, in the Sheffield City Region, due to be held in May 2018.
Devolution deals have been negotiated between Government and local authority leaders in the English regions. Once the deal document has been agreed and published, each council involved must then itself approve its participation in the deal. Government reports regularly on the deals done via the Annual Report on Devolution, which lays out nature and financial implications of the devolved arrangements.
