Next government needs to make devolution a priority as it holds the key to economic growth

Make UK, the organisation that champions engineering and manufacturing, says the next government must make local economic growth a priority so that areas currently left behind can benefit from devolution.

For too long Britain has suffered from an overly centralised economy. Decisions are made in Whitehall on behalf of communities in places like Yorkshire, far removed from the people that they have an impact on.

Make UK makes an interesting suggestion of bringing in US-style “bond referendums” to raise funds for regional infrastructure projects which are struggling to get national funding.

Too often infrastructure projects are either non-starters or are hollowed out before they’re completed. It’s the North that usually bears the brunt of the lack of commitment to infrastructure spending.

But it’s not just about infrastructure. Around a third of manufacturers say skills should be further devolved to local decision makers to make sure the right training and skills are being prioritised.

While there has been some frustration with the speed and scale of progress on devolution, it is undoubtedly proving to be successful. This is something to be built on by the next government.

Labour is in a strong position to expand on devolution following its success during the recent mayoral elections.

Today Sir Keir Starmer is bringing together his party’s newly expanded team of mayors to help develop a 'gold standard' for growing local economies and increasing prosperity across every region. This is to be welcomed as local mayors need to be backed by Westminster with powers and funding.