There is a lot of excitement around the new push for devolution and the idea that decisions should be made closer to the people they affect. That is a welcome change from a system in which too many important decisions have traditionally been made in Westminster.
But there is a question we should not lose sight of: what happens to equality when more power is transferred to the local and regional level?
Giving local leaders more powers can make the government more responsive. But devolution does not automatically make the government fairer. If equality is not built into the way those new powers are used, we could simply move existing inequalities from one level of government to another.
That is why devolution without equality is only half the job.
Power must come with responsibility
The debate around devolution often focuses on economic growth, transport, investment and infrastructure. These are important issues, particularly for regions that have felt overlooked by the central government for many years.
But local government is about much more than economic development.
It is about people’s homes, their jobs, their children’s education, their access to services and their relationship with public institutions.
When people deal with government, they do not usually think about which level of government has responsibility for a particular decision. They simply want to know whether they are being treated fairly and whether someone is listening to them.
That is why giving local and regional leaders more power must also mean giving communities a stronger voice.
Greater powers should come with greater transparency, proper scrutiny and clear accountability. People should be able to understand how decisions are made, who benefits from them and how they can challenge decisions when necessary.
Being closer to people geographically does not necessarily mean being closer to them democratically.
Equality cannot be an afterthought
Britain is a diverse country, and London perhaps illustrates this better than anywhere else.
People from different ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds live, work and study alongside one another. This diversity is one of the strengths of our communities.
But different communities can experience public policy differently.
A decision about housing, transport, planning, employment or investment may appear neutral on paper while having a very different impact on different groups.
This is why equality needs to be considered at the beginning of policymaking, not added at the end.
Before major decisions are taken, local and regional authorities should be asking some basic questions: Who will benefit from this decision? Could anyone be disadvantaged? Have the people most affected been given a genuine opportunity to contribute?
These questions should not be seen as an administrative burden. They are part of a responsible government.
Whose voice counts?
There is a particular danger in talking about bringing power closer to communities without asking which communities are actually being heard.
It is possible to transfer significant powers from Westminster to mayors, combined authorities and councils while some residents continue to feel excluded from political decision-making.
For many people from minority communities, trust in public institutions is shaped by everyday experiences.
It can be shaped by whether they can find decent housing, whether they face discrimination at work, whether their children receive equal opportunities, whether public services understand their needs and whether they feel respected when dealing with authorities.
These experiences matter.
If a devolved government is going to succeed, people need to feel that it belongs to them too.
That means involving communities before decisions are made, rather than simply asking for their views once a policy has already been developed.
London should not be left out of this conversation
Although much of the current discussion about devolution focuses on regions outside London, the issue is equally relevant to the capital.
London is one of the most diverse cities in the world, but it also has deep inequalities.
Across different parts of the city, people experience very different realities when it comes to housing, employment, income, health and access to opportunity.
North London is a good example. Communities with different cultural, religious and social backgrounds live alongside one another, creating vibrant and diverse neighbourhoods. But diversity alone does not guarantee equality.
Local and regional decision-makers need to understand the different experiences of the people they serve.
That means listening to residents, community organisations, faith groups, young people and organisations working with disadvantaged communities.
It also means being willing to change policies when evidence shows that they are not working fairly.
Consultation is not enough
We often hear about community consultation. But consultation and participation are not the same thing.
If residents are invited to comment only after the main decisions have already been made, it is difficult to describe that as meaningful participation.
Communities should be involved earlier.
Local authorities and devolved institutions should create opportunities for residents to contribute to the development of policies that affect their lives.
Of course, not every decision can satisfy everyone. Elected representatives still have to make difficult choices.
But there is a difference between people disagreeing with a decision and people feeling that they were never given a voice in the first place.
That distinction matters for public trust.
Human rights belong in the devolution debate
Human rights are sometimes discussed as though they are an issue for lawyers, courts or international organisations. They are much more relevant to everyday government than that.
At their heart, human rights are about dignity, equality, participation and protection from discrimination.
These principles should inform the way devolved institutions use their powers.
A successful model of devolution should therefore combine greater local power with strong accountability, economic development with social justice, and local decision-making with equality.
The question should not simply be how much power Westminster is willing to give away.
We should also ask what the local and regional government will do with that power.
Will communities have a stronger voice? Will disadvantaged groups have a fairer opportunity? Will public institutions become more trusted? And will economic growth reach those who have historically been left behind?
These are the questions that will ultimately determine whether devolution succeeds.
A chance to do things differently
The expansion of devolution offers an important opportunity to rethink the relationship between government and communities.
But simply moving powers from Westminster to another level of government will not, by itself, solve the problems people face.
Devolution should be about more than new powers, new institutions and new funding arrangements.
It should be about building the government that people can trust.
It should mean that minority communities are listened to, not simply consulted.
It should mean that economic growth is accompanied by greater fairness.
And it should mean that equality and human rights are considered whenever important decisions are made.
The real test of devolution will not be how much power is transferred.
It will be what that power delivers for the people who receive it.
Devolution should not simply change where power sits. It should change how power is exercised.
Because without equality, devolution is only half the job.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect (North London News) editorial policy.
