Andy Burnham took office in July 2026 on an explicit mandate to 'rewire the state', shifting meaningful power, funding and decision-making away from Westminster and Whitehall and into England's regions, mayors and local authorities. It marks one of the most significant changes to how the UK is governed in a generation, touching everything from planning and housing to health, policing and the public finances.
This working tracker monitors that evolution in real time, following individual policy moves as they progress from proposal through formal announcement to implementation. It covers the full breadth of the devolution agenda: the powers being handed to metro mayors and combined authorities, the machinery-of-government changes reshaping Whitehall itself, and the sector-specific reforms in housing, health, policing and beyond that are to follow.
The legal framework for this agenda is set out in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026, which establishes the statutory basis for transferring powers over planning, housing, transport, skills and more to Mayoral Strategic Authorities and local government. Together with the accompanying machinery-of-government changes, they represent the legislative toolkit through which the Government's devolution ambitions are being delivered.
The tracker will be updated as further details are confirmed.
