Gordon Brown report is a ‘major advance on the debate about devolution and power’

Independent thinktank New Local has strongly welcomed today’s Labour report, calling it a major advance on the debate about devolution and power.

New Local chief executive Adam Lent comments:

“Gordon Brown’s report on the future of the UK constitution finally sees a major political party acknowledge that the hyper-centralised British state is failing to win popular trust or deliver change.

This is a very significant piece of work. The programme the report outlines would amount to a deeply radical devolution of powers from Westminster to local areas.

It is especially pleasing that the report focuses one of its key recommendations on the empowerment of communities through public service reform and participatory democracy. It remains to be seen, of course, how much of this is taken forward by the Labour Party but this report represents a major advance on the debate about devolution and community power.”