EDINBURGH’S Council Leader has backed Andy Burnham’s plans to introduce greater devolution to the entire UK, taking power away from Westminster and the devolved central Governments in Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Belfast.
The former Mayor of Greater Manchester has vowed to streamline the government in Westminster, while shifting powers to councils and the new Combined Authorities – with their regional mayors – in England, bodies which combine local councils and boards into one more powerful and flexible regional authority. He also announced plans for a dedicated “No 10 North” base for the government in Northern England.
Greater Manchester, where the first of these authorities was set up in 2011 and where Burnham – widely-tipped to be the next Prime Minister – served for nine years as mayor, has proved a success, with the region using its autonomy to fuel economic growth and reorganise its public transport.
The former Health Secretary believes that a “place-based” approach, can unlock “good growth” and efficient local governance “nurtured from the bottom up”.
Burnham has long regarded Scotland as overly centralised, and in his 2024 treatise “Head North”, criticised The Scottish Government for drawing power “up out of its regions and into the national level”, pointing to the formation of national fire and police services.
In his first major speech since emerging as the sole candidate to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Burnham echoed his words in 2024, when he said his new approach would be about “offering new opportunities to extend devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland by taking power deeper down”.
There would be no way for Burnham to compel The Scottish Government to do this without a bitter struggle, as local government is devolved to Holyrood, but his incoming administration will hope that the example of Greater Manchester and the spread of the combined authority system across England could encourage leaders in Scotland.
Edinburgh, as the nexus of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal and the second largest city in the country would likely be a prime candidate for a Scottish combined authority experiment.
The leader of Edinburgh Council and the Edinburgh Labour group, Cllr Jane Meagher – the closest thing Edinburgh has to a mayor – has today spoken in favour of decentralisation.
In response to Burnham’s speech, she said: “I welcome any move that gives local authorities and regions the powers and resources they need to help improve the lives of their residents and communities.
“I met with Andy Burnham in April and was encouraged to hear about the difference he’d made across Greater Manchester during his time as Mayor and, more specifically, his views on enhanced powers for the nations and regions.
“Here in the capital, we’re already Scotland’s economic powerhouse, contributing almost a third of the nation’s GDP with just one tenth of the workforce – but we still face significant challenges, particularly around poverty and housing.
“These challenges need both local and regional solutions. We’ve shown we can work with our partners across the South East Scotland City Region to support over £3.6 billion in economic growth, alongside around 22,000 jobs, and over 5,500 new homes.
“We need to continue to lift more residents out of poverty and ensure everyone benefits from the economic successes of Edinburgh and the wider region.
“I have no doubt that further devolution would allow us to develop this work further, faster, and wider.”
Scotland is already one of the most devolved parts of the UK, with powers over health, education, transport, benefits, and taxation.
Scotland has not, however, adopted the English combined authority system, which grants significant powers to regional mayors.
Burnham believes Scotland should adopt this approach, and claims this would allow more support to be given to grassroots causes, allow smaller-scale, place-based decision-making, cut red tape, and allow greater adaptability to the needs of specific areas.
SNP Westminster Leader, Dave Doogan, accused Burnham of making “empty promises”.
He said: “Andy Burnham is making the same empty promises, while keeping all of Westminster’s most damaging policies – Brexit, austerity cuts and Tory spending rules.
“The SNP has been calling for meaningful devolution for years but there is nothing of substance for Scotland in these proposals – and nothing that will fundamentally improve people’s lives.
“It’s telling that Andy Burnham is setting out Westminster’s top-down, England-centric plans without even involving the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the conversation – and he seems to think Manchester is the north of the UK, when it’s barely the north of England.
“If Andy Burnham was serious about devolution then he should start by devolving the energy powers the Scottish Parliament has already voted for – instead of keeping control over Scotland’s energy at Westminster.”
Doogan went on to strike a more conciliatory tone: “The SNP will work with the Labour government wherever possible to secure meaningful devolution, and we will continue to demand urgent help for families with the cost of living – but the only way to secure real change is to escape Westminster control entirely with independence.”
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