DCLG: “How to make devolved government work? A narrative from modern British history”
"How to make devolved government work? A narrative from modern British history"
Wednesday 18th May 2016
This lecture, presented by History & Policy Co-Founder Simon Szreter, examined how between 1860 and 1914 Britain's largest provincial cities transformed themselves (with a little help from Westminster) from deliberately inactive to highly pro-active devolved centres of government. Cities which competed to charge businesses and property-owners the lowest local rates in 1850, came instead to pride themselves on achieving the lowest death rates for workers and their families. If central government wishes to revitalise devolved, local government in Britain today it can be helpful to consider how this was achieved in the recent past.