Dissatisfaction with the government among Londoners hints at devolution as a potential next step
In a recent study conducted by Savanta, it was revealed that devolving more power to London's local and city governments could lead to various benefits, including enhanced local resilience, improved economic outcomes, and greater innovation in service delivery.
Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, has pledged a 'full fact devolution' if his party wins the General Election. This commitment aligns with the findings of the study, which suggests that devolution empowers local governments to build resilience specific to their communities and address regional economic challenges more effectively.
Emma Levin, an associate director at Savanta, stated that people tend to trust politics that is closer to them rather than national governments. The research supports this notion, as one in five Londoners trust the city government (Mayor of London and London Assembly) the most, while only one in six Londoners trust the national government. Interestingly, Labour voters are more likely to trust local and city governments, most of which are Labour-led.
However, the research does not indicate any changes in trust levels compared to previous studies or periods. It also does not provide specific numbers for the trust levels of Conservative voters or Labour voters in this context.
The study's findings suggest a partisan element to the trust in politics, with voters' preferences aligning with the political affiliations of the governments in question. This is evident in the fact that Conservative voters are more likely to trust the Westminster government.
The research was conducted by interviewing 1,579 Londoners aged 18+ online between 21-26 June 2024. The data were weighted to be representative of all London adults by age, sex, region, and SEG.
The devolution of power also presents challenges in coordination, funding, and capacity building to ensure local authorities can meet their expanded roles effectively. The amount of taxes raised by the government and local authorities in London is significantly lower than comparable countries like the UK and France. This could potentially impact the funding mechanisms for devolved powers.
Antonia Jennings, the chief executive at Centre for London, suggests re-thinking London's devolution deal due to waning trust in national government and increasing support for greater devolution. Starmer's manifesto includes a Take Back Control Act that would harness and unlock the pride people have in their communities and grant more power to directly elected mayors.
Interestingly, the research shows that almost half of Londoners (49%) support the idea of their taxes being decided by councils instead of Downing Street. Furthermore, only 16% of Londoners oppose the idea of their taxes being decided by councils.
In conclusion, devolving more powers to London’s local and city governments aims to create a more responsive, innovative, and economically dynamic city governance, supporting national levelling-up objectives while also presenting challenges in coordination, funding, and capacity building to ensure local authorities can meet their expanded roles effectively.
- The Leader of the Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer, has pledged a 'full Devolution' policy-and-legislation if his party wins the General Election, aligning with the research that suggests devolution can empower local governments to build resilience specific to their communities and address regional economic challenges more effectively.
- In the study conducted by Savanta, it was revealed that almost half of Londoners (49%) support the idea of their taxes being decided by councils instead of Downing Street, highlighting a growing trend in local politics of general-news relevance.
