Policy of devolving more power and public service responsibility comes with political upsides

One of the last things on Keir Starmer’s list of priorities might be giving significant extra power to the Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, seen as the person most likely to challenge the embattled prime minister - if he can find a route into the Commons first.

- Kiran Stacey

Yet supporters of devolution are hoping Starmer might agree to do exactly that in the coming months. A report published today by Labour Together, the Starmerite thinktank, calls for ministers to go much further than they now plan on devolution.

The report, written by JP Spencer, Labour Together’s director of devolution policy, calls for mayors to be able to appoint commissioners to oversee a wide range of public services, from health to criminal justice. These commissioners would mirror work being done by the police and crime commissioners, a role introduced by the coalition government to oversee local policing.

The report argues: “This will allow places to deliver public services in a different way, more accountable to their users via their democratic representatives.”