On Monday, rather than making my usual journey down to London, I stayed in Oldham to be present at the Oldham Athletic celebration event held at the Civic and later at Boundary Park. The atmosphere was absolutely fantastic with a real sense of pride celebrating the weekend’s hard-fought victory.
The rest of the week has been mainly dominated by ongoing work around local government reorganisation. This is a major piece of reform, so I have been speaking directly to MPs whose constituencies are affected by the changes. Our shared goal is clear: to build a more sustainable, efficient, and streamlined system of local government that truly delivers better value for the taxpayer. This means creating unitary councils that are not just bigger on paper, but genuinely stronger and better equipped to lead their communities, manage public services effectively, and improve outcomes for residents in real, tangible ways.
Following up on the plans we laid out back in March, I published a written ministerial statement on Tuesday detailing our progress. We’ve now given detailed feedback to all 21 two-tier areas undergoing reorganisation, and crucially, committed funding to support the development of their final proposals. This is a key moment in the process – backing local areas with the resources they need to get the right outcome for their area.
This week, I also had the pleasure of sitting down with Mayor Steve Rotheram from Liverpool City Region and Mayor Sadiq Khan from London. Central to our devolution agenda are mayors, who act as strategic leaders and pioneers of regional change so regular conversations with them are vital – they help ensure that our approach to devolution is collaborative, responsive, and focused on delivering real improvements for people on the ground.
On Thursday I was pleased to attend the LGA Labour Group meeting, where I had the opportunity to engage directly with council leaders. We discussed a range of pressing issues, from the complexities of local government reorganisation to fair funding formulas and the broader strategic vision for devolution. A key part of our discussion was about how to build flexibility into the funding system so that resources can be targeted effectively – making sure that money reaches those communities most affected by deprivation.
Ahead of next week’s Spending Review, it’s been a particularly busy and productive period working closely across government departments. The goal is clear: to prepare thoroughly and ensure that local government secures the best possible deal going forward.
Jim McMahon OBE MP 