London officials urge Whitehall to trust devolution agenda

City Hall officials have expressed support for Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s devolution agenda while noting ongoing tensions with Whitehall regarding the transfer of authority to local leaders.

Howard Dawber, Deputy Mayor for Business under Sadiq Khan, indicated that some central government departments remain hesitant to relinquish control. Dawber noted that previous requests for devolved powers were denied by the former government under Keir Starmer on the grounds that certain issues were ‘too important to devolve.’

While the Greater London Authority has recently received new powers, such as the ability to retain a portion of income tax and the potential to implement a tourist tax on overnight visitors, Dawber suggested that a full sense of trust between London and central government has yet to be established.