The current route that English devolution is taking is by building a fragmented system without a coherent foundation. Powers are not being distributed to recognised Counties and local bodies and there is an absence of a national framework for England itself. This reverses the logic seen elsewhere in the UK.
For example, in Scotland and Wales, the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly were established first, providing a structure within which further devolution could take place. Instead, England has attempted to devolve without first defining its own political centre.
The result is inconsistency. Different areas operate under different arrangements, with varying powers and funding. Some metro mayors hold significant authority, while others remain constrained by central government oversight. The House of Lords Constitution Committee has warned that this patchwork approach lacks coherence.
Without an English Parliament, there is no institution responsible for balancing these different interests or setting consistent standards. These risk entrenching inequality, as areas with stronger negotiated settlements pull further ahead. A good example is city against rural areas.
Devolution should complement national governance, not substitute for it. An English Parliament could provide strategic direction, coordinate funding, and establish clear accountability. Local bodies would then operate within a defined framework rather than in isolation.
As a leading Constitutional expert has argued, England’s constitutional arrangements are marked by “institutional incompleteness.” Addressing that gap requires more than administrative reform, it requires a clear national structure.
Without that foundation, devolution will remain uneven and potentially unstable, driven more by political expediency than by coherent design.
Steve Davis
Campaign Chairman
Campaign for an English Parliament
References
(House of Lords Constitution Committee English devolution reports,Michael Kenny – The Politics of English Nationhood ,Institute for Government Regional governance analysis)
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