Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, has cautioned that the push to decentralize power in Britain should not result in the expansion of the civil service at taxpayer expense. Jones suggested that Whitehall departments should decrease in size if their functions are relocated away from London.
Andy Burnham, who is widely expected to become the next Prime Minister, has outlined plans for a "rewired Britain" aimed at transferring authority from Westminster to regional areas. His proposal includes establishing a "No10 North" in Manchester to serve as a central hub for these initiatives.
Speaking at a Re:State think tank event, Jones acknowledged Burnham's critique of the "overcentralisation of power and bureaucracy in Westminster." However, he stressed that "devolution must mean devolution, not duplication," expressing concern that past attempts to shift power had not led to a decrease in the number of civil servants in central government.
Jones, a close ally of outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer, noted his own position might become redundant in the coming weeks should Burnham assume the premiership on July 20, as anticipated. He argued that Whitehall needs to adopt a less "parental" approach to regional governance and avoid mirroring tasks already being handled by local mayoral offices.
"When I ask the question: 'As we've devolved things to combined authorities have we reduced the headcount in London by a commensurate amount?' No, headcount has increased," Jones stated. He issued a warning to Whitehall, suggesting that the current political climate necessitates a shift: "devolution must mean devolution, not duplication."
He elaborated that previous decentralization efforts have often involved replicating oversight functions in both regions and Westminster, thereby creating more bureaucracy rather than empowering local areas. For genuine devolution to succeed, Jones emphasized the need for Westminster to trust local leaders and move away from a "parental relationship" towards a model that devolves power and accountability nationwide.
Jones further indicated that a commitment to genuine devolution should be reflected in the organizational structure of London-based departments. He stated that while departments might change in shape or shrink in the short to medium term, in the long run, some may cease to exist if power is truly transferred to the UK's nations and regions.