Institute for Government · Institute for Government

How can local places maximise the benefits of devolution to drive economic growth?

·58 min·5 clips
Mayor Steve Rotherham explains how Liverpool's publicly-owned digital infrastructure attracted Kindle instead of Oxford or Cambridge.
This panel discussion explores how local places can maximize the benefits of devolution for economic growth, featuring mayors, researchers, and a university leader. They discuss practical strategies for implementing local economic plans, the role of anchor institutions like universities, and the political challenges of rural versus urban devolution. The conversation highlights real-world examples from Liverpool and Surrey while addressing broader questions about collaboration, community engagement, and political accountability.

As heard by us

A grounded look at devolution as a tool for local growth.

The piece treats devolution less as a constitutional fix and more as a practical question: what changes for a place once it has skills, transport, and spending power, and how those tools might help local growth.

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Why you'd press play

See how local powers turn into growth when devolution gets down to delivery and spending.

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