Since the new government first took power on the promise of delivering on its devolution agenda and driving “growth in every postcode”, a series of changes have been announced to how government operates.
Below, we look at some of the most significant reforms announced over the past month, from efforts to reshape the relationship between Whitehall and regional government, to changes intended to speed up central government decision-making, and new revenue-raising powers for local leaders.
High-performing civil servants are to be seconded into mayoral authorities from the autumn to facilitate what the government has called a “once-in-a-generation devolution settlement”.
As part of an initial pilot, five to ten Whitehall officials will be sent to every mayoral authority for a period of six to nine months, to help authorities improve their capacity and to accelerate the transfer of power to local areas.
This follows requests from mayors at the first convening of the National Economic Council for greater capability, faster decision-making, and a closer relationship with government.
Mayors will also be given the freedom to request the skills which would be most useful.
A new Civil Service Fast Stream pilot in Yorkshire and Humber, and an expansion of the civil service development programme, the “Future Leaders Scheme”, to mayoral and local authority officials, have also been introduced as part of the same package.
These measures are accompanied by a Digital Devolution programme to build AI, digital and data capability in mayoral authorities, and investment in major sports-led regeneration projects.
“Unnecessary” consultations on proposed government policies are to be scrapped as part of a number of reforms proposed to streamline the enacting of decisions.
Under new government plans, departments will be instructed to avoid using consultations “unless there is a clear reason to do so”, and to instead develop alternative ways of integrating the views of experts and the public into the policymaking process.
The number of consultations and reporting requirements on the statute book are also to be reduced.
This accompanies the Treasury’s and No 10 North’s efforts to work with departments in order to determine the obstacles delaying projects, and what changes to law, regulations, or processes are needed to overcome them.
The government also plans to give Parliament the ability to designate and approve the country’s most important infrastructure projects, giving them enhanced protection from legal challenge.
Alongside this, a fixed “Challenge Window” is to be introduced for major infrastructure projects, intended to ensure that points of legal challenge are identified and addressed earlier and reduce delays after consent has been granted.
Mayors and certain local leaders are to be given the power to introduce an Overnight Visitor Levy and determine how the proceeds are invested locally.
The levy would be charged as a proportion of accommodation costs rather than as a flat fee, with leaders of Mayoral and Foundation Strategic Authorities able to decide whether to introduce it and where to direct the revenue, following consultation with residents and local businesses.
The announcement follows a government consultation on introducing an overnight visitor levy, which ran from November 2025 to February 2026.
The new revenue-raising power forms part of the government’s wider devolution agenda, alongside plans to give mayors a share of income tax revenues and greater influence over planning decisions.
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Overall, these announcements indicate a changing model of government in which more power, funding and capability are being transferred away from Whitehall, while central government seeks to remove barriers to delivery.
This entails closer working between central and regional government, greater local responsibility for funding and investment, and a stronger emphasis within Whitehall on streamlining delivery.
For government suppliers, increasingly empowered regional authorities could become more significant customers and partners, while efforts to reduce delays in central government could affect how quickly major projects move from decision to delivery.