In the United Kingdom, a junior minister with responsibility for devolution in England was first appointed in July 2024.
Background
The Labour Party manifesto for the 2017 general election included a commitment to establish the post of a "Minister for England" within the Department of Communities and Local Government.[1][2]
A position of "Minister for England", with responsibility for representing English interests within intergovernmental bodies, was proposed by a report titled "Intergovernmental Relations in the UK: Time for a Radical Overhaul?" published in The Political Quarterly in 2020.[3]
In a report titled Devolving English Government published in April 2023 the Institute for Government and the University of Cambridge's Bennett Institute for Public Policy proposed the creation of an "Office for England" led by a "Secretary of State for England".[4][5][6]
A dedicated ministerial role with responsibility for English devolution was created in July 2024, following Labour's victory in the 2024 general election, when Jim McMahon was appointed Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution.
Responsibility for English devolution strategy and local economic growth was transferred from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MCHLG) to the Cabinet Office's newly established No. 10 North in Manchester after Andy Burnham became prime minister on 20 July 2026.[7]
Responsibilities
The minister's responsibilities include:[8]
- English devolution;
- Strategic authorities and pan-regional bodies;
- Local and regional growth and investment
Ministers
| Name | Portrait | Entered office | Left office | Political party | Prime Minister | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution | |||||||
| Jim McMahon |  |
6 July 2024 | 6 September 2025 | Labour Co-op | Starmer | ||
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Devolution, Faith and Communities | |||||||
| Miatta Fahnbulleh |  |
6 September 2025 | 12 May 2026 | Labour Co-op | Starmer | ||
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Devolution, Local Growth and Communities | |||||||
| Nesil Caliskan[9] |  |
12 May 2026 | 22 July 2026 | Labour | Starmer | ||
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Devolution | |||||||
| Jim McMahon[10] |  |
22 July 2026 | Incumbent | Labour | Burnham | ||
See also
References
- ↑ "For the Many not the Few: The Labour Party Manifesto 2017" (PDF). Lancaster University. 2017.
- ↑ Jones, Richard Wyn; Henderson, Ailsa (23 April 2021). "Like it or not, Keir Starmer will not win without England". Prospect.
- ↑ McEwen, Nicola; Kenny, Michael; Sheldon, Jack; Brown Swan, Coree (2020). "Intergovernmental Relations in the UK: Time for a Radical Overhaul?". The Political Quarterly. 91 (3): 632–640. doi:10.1111/1467-923X.12862. PMC 7323457. PMID 32836409.
- ↑ Lewsey, Fred (6 April 2023). "England needs a 'council of mayors' and Secretary of State to embed English devolution at the heart of Whitehall". University of Cambridge.
- ↑ "England needs a 'council of mayors' and Secretary of State to embed English devolution at the heart of Whitehall - report". The Bennett Institute for Public Policy. 6 April 2023.
- ↑ "Devolving English government". The Bennett Institute for Public Policy. 6 April 2023.
- ↑ https://www.lgcplus.com/politics/devolution-and-economic-growth/devolution-strategy-moved-from-mhclg-21-07-2026/
- ↑ https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/parliamentary-under-secretary-of-state--307
- ↑ https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/parliamentary-under-secretary-of-state--307
- ↑ "Jim McMahon on Facebook".