Council of the Nations and Regions
Intergovernmental body in the United Kingdom
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The Council of the Nations and Regions (Welsh: Cyngor y Cenhedloedd a’r Rhanbarthau) is a quasi-intergovernmental political body in the United Kingdom.
Logo | |
.jpg) First meeting of the council in Edinburgh, Scotland, 11 October 2024 | |
| Formation | 11 October 2024 |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Intergovernmental relations |
Region served | United Kingdom |
Chair | Keir Starmer Prime Minister |
| Website | Council of the Nations and Regions |
The council's members are the holders of the offices of prime minister of the United Kingdom, first minister of Scotland, first minister of Wales, first and deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, mayor of London, and the 13 English combined authority mayoralties.[1]
The council is separate from the Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments Council, which brings together only the heads of the UK's central and devolved governments, or from the British-Irish Council, which brings together the heads of the UK's central and devolved governments, the governments of the Crown dependencies, and the government of the Republic of Ireland.
History
Background
In 2022, the Labour Party published a report on constitutional reform proposals by Gordon Brown titled A New Britain: Renewing our Democracy and Rebuilding our Economy.[2]
A chapter of the report was dedicated to the matter of improving intergovernmental relations and devolution.[3][2][4] One proposal was for the formation of a "Council of the UK", which would bring together the UK prime minister and the heads of the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to manage relations and coordinate efforts between the four governments.[5] A second proposed body was a "Council of England", chaired by the prime minister, which would bring together the mayor of London, combined authority mayors, representatives of local government, and other stakeholders in England. A third proposed body was the "Council of the Nations and Regions", which would bring together the UK prime minister, the heads of the three devolved governments, and the mayor of London and combined authority mayors in England.[5]
Establishment
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Plans for a council of the nations and regions were included in the Labour manifesto for the 2024 UK general election.[6] Following Labour's victory in the election, on 9 July the new Prime Minister Keir Starmer met England's combined authority mayors and the mayor of London and announced plans to establish a council of the nations and regions.[7][8][4] The Scottish Government said that they had not been informed of the plans prior to the announcement.[4]
At the 2024 Labour Party Conference, Labour reiterated its commitment to the proposals, saying that all areas of England "should eventually be covered by mayoral devolution", which would then mean all areas of England would be represented on the Council.[9]
The first meeting of the Council of the Nations and Regions took place on 11 October 2024 in Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh.[10] The work of the council will be supported by a secretariat of UK government officials.[11][clarification needed]
Membership
The council's members are the holders of the offices of prime minister of the United Kingdom, first minister of Scotland, first minister of Wales, first and deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, mayor of London, and the English combined authority mayoralties.[1][4][12][13]
According to a press release issued by the UK government, the deputy prime minister of the United Kingdom and the minister for intergovernmental relations will also attend the council, and that other ministers may be invited to attend on an ad hoc basis.[11] The membership of the council is expected increase as new mayoral combined authorities are established in England.[11]
The current members of the council are:[10]
Meetings
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The first meeting of the council took place in October 2024. The council meets twice a year.[10]
| Meetings of the Council of the Nations and Regions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Location | Host |
| 11 October 2024 | Queen Elizabeth House, Edinburgh[14][10] | Scotland |
| 23 May 2025 | Lancaster House, London[15][16] | England |
