Scotland should give more devolved powers to regions and cities, says Andy Burnham
The Prime Minister said he would discuss the idea of further spreading of power within Scotland and Wales when he meets with devolved leaders in the autumn.
Scotland should consider ways to deepen devolution by following England’s model of giving more powers to cities and regions, Andy Burnham has said.
The Prime Minister said he would discuss the idea of further spreading of power within Scotland and Wales when he meets with devolved leaders in the autumn.
On a visit to Port Talbot, he said: “Maybe there’s an argument for deeper devolution, so more power into the cities and the regions of Wales, to North Wales working more with the North West, or mid Wales more with the West Midlands, of the kind of devolution that is developing now quite quickly across England.
“I’m open to conversations, though, with the Plaid Senedd Government about those things, and I’ve called a National Economic Council with the devolved nations for October to discuss precisely those things.”
Mr Burnham also faced questions about giving the Welsh Government’s devolution of the Crown Estate, like is the case in Scotland.
Scotland was granted control over Crown Estate holdings north of the border after a law was passed in 2016, with money from its properties and enterprises flowing directly into the coffers of the Scottish Government.
Wales’s Plaid Cymru Government has asked for parity with Scotland.
Asked by reporters if he saw merit in giving Wales’s devolved Government control over the company, Mr Burnham replied: “I’ve called the National Economic Council for October, and one of the messages that I will want to give to all of the first ministers, but including the new First Minister of Wales at that meeting, is that No 10 North is as much at your disposal as it is at the disposal of the devolved areas of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and as requests come for further devolution, they will be given a fair hearing.
“I’m not making any commitments today because it needs to be done carefully in a proper way, but obviously, that is what devolution should be about.
“I used to do it myself, as mayor of Greater Manchester, we would make requests and it’s proper for devolved entities to make those requests.
“But you know, there then has to be a process for considering the issues involved.
“So that is part of why we’ve called the meeting. But I do also want to consider where we may deepen devolution here to get the growth mission being felt in a real way in all parts of Wales.”
It comes after the PM announced that he will be holding a summit with the first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Mr Burnham said he will hold a meeting of the National Economic Council in October.
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