Whitehall could "shrink" as Burnham shifts power to regions - minister
Andy Burnham's plans to shift power from Whitehall to the regions could mean civil service job cuts in London, Cabinet minister Darren Jones said.
The chief secretary to the UK prime minister, a key ally of Keir Starmer, said Whitehall needed to have a less "parental" approach to the regions and avoid duplicating roles that were being performed by mayors' offices.
Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, has announced plans for a "rewired Britain" with power shifted from Westminster to the regions.
If he becomes prime minister later this month, as expected, he would establish a No 10 North in Manchester to act as the "nerve centre" for the plan.
In a speech to the Re:State think tank, Jones said Burnham had "rightly set out" that there was an "overcentralisation of power and bureaucracy in Westminster".
He said he expected some central government departments to "shrink" as their powers were devolved.
Jones said: "When I ask the question: 'As we've devolved things to combined authorities have we reduced the headcount in London by a commensurate amount?' No, headcount has increased.
"And I just say to Whitehall, with the direction of where the political winds are blowing, I think this is a clear warning: devolution must mean devolution, not duplication.
"In the past, we've gone down the path of replicating checks, both in the regions and in Westminster, creating more state rather than more power in those regions.
"So, for this to truly work, Westminster must trust local leaders to make the right decisions and instead of an almost parental relationship, we need to actually devolve power and accountability across the country."
He said that "if you're really committed to devolution, you should see a change in the shape of London departments".
Asked if the government would have to think about which departments remained in existence if there was genuine devolution to the UK's nations and regions, he said: "I think in the long run, probably yes.
"I think in the short-to-medium term, I would expect them to at least change shape or shrink."
Jones had been considered by Starmer loyalists as a potential challenger to Burnham but has ruled out running for the Labour leadership and the keys to No 10.
He acknowledged that he was "potentially redundant in a couple of weeks" if Burnham becomes prime minister.
By David Hughes, Press Association Political Editor
Press Association: News
source: PA
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