Building regional governance in England: the view from Whitehall

Abstract

English Constitutional arrangements in parts of the UK have been transformed by political devolution. In England, however, reliance has been placed on strengthening the regional tier through administrative decentralisation. Drawing on the views of Whitehall civil servants, this article explores how central–regional relations are being recalibrated and how government is building a regional perspective into its activities. We conclude that, in the absence of regional government, Whitehall is pursuing a cautious approach to regional working and greater attention needs to be given to incorporating regional priorities in national spending programmes and developing a more coherent approach to regional strategy making.