Devolution and Restoring Local Political Agency

Devolution has the potential to transform the governance of England. The North East Combined Authority became operational in late May 2024. Kim McGuinness was elected to office on May 7th, 2024, becoming only the second female elected Mayor in England. In this year's Sir Peter Hall Lecture, Kim will reflect on her first year in office, how local identity and local delivery will combine to be the hallmarks of her time in office, and set out what must come next from a Labour Government in order to reconnect people with their political representatives. In her manifesto, Kim made commitments to addressing child poverty – the rate of which is higher in the North East than anywhere else in the country – and to rebuilding the foundational economy. Kim will reflect on how addressing these challenges is key to reconnecting the public with their political representatives and how she intends to address them using her devolved powers.