The Guardian view on Burnham’s devolution plans: power must be accompanied by scrutiny | Editorial

The Guardian view on Burnham’s devolution plans: power must be accompanied by scrutiny | Editorial

Vital accountability mechanisms have withered as English devolution has evolved. The government should take note Andy Burnham has criticised Britain’s “unaccountable state” that is at once too powerful and too distant from everyday life. He has made English devolution the central idea of his premiership, but his plan to give England’s mayors unprecedented power and money will have to confront a number of tricky real…

6 Sept, 16:25

The Guardian view on Andy Burnham and devolution: it takes a powerful centre to decentralise power | Editorial

When it comes to driving an agenda from No 10, the prime minister seems to have learned important lessons from his predecessor’s failure Before entering Downing Street, Andy Burnham cited the overcentralisation of power as a cause of Britain’s social and economic malaise. In his first week, the new prime minister has signalled his intent to bolster No 10 as an organ of executive power. The apparent contradiction – fo…

22 Jul, 17:30