Mechanisms of Metagovernance as Structural Challenges to Levelling Up in England

Jack Newman; Simon Collinson; Nigel Driffield; Nigel Gilbert; Charlotte Hoole

doi:10.1080/00343404.2023.2217215

Mechanisms of Metagovernance as Structural Challenges to Levelling Up in England

Jack Newman, Simon Collinson, Nigel Driffield^*, Nigel Gilbert, Charlotte Hoole

^*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

At the time of writing, the UK government is attempting to tackle place-based inequality through its ‘levelling up’ agenda. To be effective, such interventions require local institutions with the capacity, powers, and budgets to develop and implement long-term strategies. Multi-level metagovernance, the ongoing reorganisation of local governance systems by the central state, has become a salient political process in England, characterised by fragmented system design, distorted local strategies, micromanagement and mistrustful central–local relations. These various problems are underpinned by a problematic combination of quasi-markets and state hierarchy. Together, these metagovernance mechanisms significantly constrain local capacity to deliver economic development.

Original language	English
Journal	Regional Studies
Early online date	15 Jun 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2023.2217215
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 15 Jun 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
‘Local Institutions, Productivity, Sustainability and Inclusivity Trade-offs’, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) (see the Funding section).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Keywords

devolution
levelling up
metagovernance

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Environmental Science
General Social Sciences

Access to Document

10.1080/00343404.2023.2217215Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

NewmanaJ2023MechanismsFinal published version, 1.13 MBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

Local Institutions, Productivity, Sustainability and Inclusivity Trade-offs (LIPSIT)
Hoole, C. (Co-Investigator) & Collinson, S. (Principal Investigator)
Economic & Social Research Council
1/10/19 → 31/10/21
Project: Research Councils

Cite this

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title = "Mechanisms of Metagovernance as Structural Challenges to Levelling Up in England",

abstract = "At the time of writing, the UK government is attempting to tackle place-based inequality through its {\textquoteleft}levelling up{\textquoteright} agenda. To be effective, such interventions require local institutions with the capacity, powers, and budgets to develop and implement long-term strategies. Multi-level metagovernance, the ongoing reorganisation of local governance systems by the central state, has become a salient political process in England, characterised by fragmented system design, distorted local strategies, micromanagement and mistrustful central–local relations. These various problems are underpinned by a problematic combination of quasi-markets and state hierarchy. Together, these metagovernance mechanisms significantly constrain local capacity to deliver economic development.",

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AU - Driffield, Nigel

AU - Gilbert, Nigel

AU - Hoole, Charlotte

N1 - Funding Information: ‘Local Institutions, Productivity, Sustainability and Inclusivity Trade-offs’, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) (see the Funding section). Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

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AB - At the time of writing, the UK government is attempting to tackle place-based inequality through its ‘levelling up’ agenda. To be effective, such interventions require local institutions with the capacity, powers, and budgets to develop and implement long-term strategies. Multi-level metagovernance, the ongoing reorganisation of local governance systems by the central state, has become a salient political process in England, characterised by fragmented system design, distorted local strategies, micromanagement and mistrustful central–local relations. These various problems are underpinned by a problematic combination of quasi-markets and state hierarchy. Together, these metagovernance mechanisms significantly constrain local capacity to deliver economic development.

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Mechanisms of Metagovernance as Structural Challenges to Levelling Up in England

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

Local Institutions, Productivity, Sustainability and Inclusivity Trade-offs (LIPSIT)

Cite this