Starmer Vows to Loosen Whitehall’s ‘Tight Grip’ on Cities and Regions

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has promised to loosen Whitehall’s “tight grip” over Britain’s big cities and regions as he met with the England’s mayors at Number 10 on Tuesday. Sir Keir said he had “made it a priority to meet with all metro mayors” in his first week of office. He said, “By resetting these crucial relationships and putting more power in the hands of local leaders, I’m determined to make sure they have the support they need to play their part in delivering economic growth in every part of the country.” During the meeting he told the mayors: “I know many of you already have growth plans in place—some of you have shared them and that is fantastic. What we want to do is build on that with a real partnership where you feel that the government is up alongside you, supporting what you’re doing.”...