All eyes were on the announcement of the Devolution Priority Programme in light of our Department’s announcement of six more devolution agreements being reached. Taking into account the existing agreement to work towards a mayoral authority in Lancashire, it represents the single biggest package of devolution for England. In this way we’re delivering our pledge to widen devolution to the whole of England.
Most of the meetings aren’t seen, rightly they are for 121 meetings with councils and MPs, and given the weeks business this meant meeting with MPs across the range of counties in line for devolution, and each of the councils who have agreed to go ahead too.
The biggest moment of the year is almost certainly the Local Government Finance Settlement in the Chamber, a settlement which puts local authorities back on a stable financial footing with £69 billion of funding in total, and ready to begin the recovery so that Councils can deliver better frontline public services for their communities.
Before heading back to the constituency I took the backbench business debate on government support for coalfield communities. The social and economic scars are still visible today and MPs are rightly demanding better planned long term investment. Through devolution and investment, we can put right this injustice.
More widely, £2.6 billion was announced for our flood defences to save lives and livelihoods in every region of the country, along with an announcement to give millions of workers a pay rise – fulfilling our promise to Make Work Pay and improve living standards across the country.
With a day of advice surgeries and visit on housing development in Oldham town centre planned, it’s a great finish to an already busy week.
Jim McMahon OBE MP 