28 August 2026
Cabinet Office statement on rewiring the State
The UK Government’s Cabinet Office has published a statement setting out how it will ‘rewire the state’ to devolve decision-making and delivery across the four nations of the UK and the regions in England.
As a cornerstone of Andy Burnham’s leadership, devolution has been expected to progress more quickly, and the statement sets out the Government’s plans to deliver a significant change in decentralising decision-making by the end of this parliament. The statement sets out their decisions on the new model of government that they want to move to, the implications for central government and the Civil Service, and the steps they will take to deliver the change before the next election.
The plan aims to help local leaders drive growth and improve public services, give them more control over local tax revenue and develop strong local institutions. Mayors will be empowered to offer ‘a high-quality locally tailored technical or vocational route from age 16’, control the budget for 16-to-19-year-olds, support with high-quality work experience and work across services to reduce economic inactivity among young people and prevent them falling through the cracks. Employment support will also be devolved to mayors to reflect local need.
Government will support with inward investment while giving mayors greater control over investment for growth in their areas. The Government’s ambition is for every part of England to have a strategic authority by the end of 2028, with support to build the capability to enact the newly devolved powers. The UK Government also seeks to engage the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to increase devolved responsibilities. In parallel, the plan is for a ‘smaller and more strategic’ Civil Service as responsibilities shift from the centre.
In terms of career development, this suggests more powers for mayors to work with schools, colleges and careers hubs, and has already led to a delay in the publication of the DfE’s tender for careers education, which was originally planned to be out in August and looks likely to be delayed until up to Christmas.
Read the Cabinet Office Statement on Rewiring Government.
As a cornerstone of Andy Burnham’s leadership, devolution has been expected to progress more quickly, and the statement sets out the Government’s plans to deliver a significant change in decentralising decision-making by the end of this parliament. The statement sets out their decisions on the new model of government that they want to move to, the implications for central government and the Civil Service, and the steps they will take to deliver the change before the next election.
The plan aims to help local leaders drive growth and improve public services, give them more control over local tax revenue and develop strong local institutions. Mayors will be empowered to offer ‘a high-quality locally tailored technical or vocational route from age 16’, control the budget for 16-to-19-year-olds, support with high-quality work experience and work across services to reduce economic inactivity among young people and prevent them falling through the cracks. Employment support will also be devolved to mayors to reflect local need.
Government will support with inward investment while giving mayors greater control over investment for growth in their areas. The Government’s ambition is for every part of England to have a strategic authority by the end of 2028, with support to build the capability to enact the newly devolved powers. The UK Government also seeks to engage the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to increase devolved responsibilities. In parallel, the plan is for a ‘smaller and more strategic’ Civil Service as responsibilities shift from the centre.
In terms of career development, this suggests more powers for mayors to work with schools, colleges and careers hubs, and has already led to a delay in the publication of the DfE’s tender for careers education, which was originally planned to be out in August and looks likely to be delayed until up to Christmas.
Read the Cabinet Office Statement on Rewiring Government.
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