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Alex Walker

@alwalker.bsky.social

1.6K followers 489 following 163 posts

Head of Local State @re-state.bsky.social Interests include devolution, governance, democracy, trust

Posts Replies Media

Alex Walker @alwalker.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Giving mayoral authorities a share of income tax & allowing them to benefit when they grow their tax base is big - and an important first step for fiscal devolution Great to see this announced today - as proposed in our report last month. And nice to see coverage on the BBC and elsewhere this morn

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Alex Walker @alwalker.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Great to be quoted in @thetimes.com this morning ahead of the PM's announcement on fiscal devolution tomorrow! V promising that the plans being trailed are for a retained share of income tax and greater devolution of business rates - this is the starting point we argue for in our recent paper.

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Alex Walker @alwalker.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

My piece this morning in @labourlist.bsky.social ahead of Burnham's speech later - on why he should go big on fiscal decentralisation as the key to unlocking the full potential of devolution in England

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Alex Walker @alwalker.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Great piece from @samfr.bsky.social on the likely substance of Burnham's policy platform And nice to see our report on fiscal devolution from last week get a shout out - completely agree that this will be one of the big tests of the ambition of his devolution agenda

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Alex Walker @alwalker.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Nice also to the see the report feature in this week's @smfthinktank.bsky.social Wonk Week

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Alex Walker @alwalker.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

If Burnham wants to accelerate the devolution agenda from No 10 ("the heart" of Manchesterism according to Louise Haigh) fiscal devolution is the obvious starting point Shameless plug, but we set out a blueprint for this last week: re-state.co.uk/publications...

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Alex Walker @alwalker.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Really big devolution news! England is a major outlier when it comes to how fiscally centralised it is. Allowing Mayoral Strategic Authorities to retain a share of income tax generated in their area would be a major step forward, unlocking more autonomy and direct benefit from local growth.

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Alex Walker @alwalker.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

I've written this week's @re-state.bsky.social Re:View on the spring statement - which already feels like a long time ago. Have a read!

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Alex Walker @alwalker.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

With the next meeting of the Council around the corner, we set out what will be necessary for it to get off the ground

The most important road to success for the Council is for it to make a tangible and meaningful difference. And for this it needs to be connected to delivery. Despite the heightened political disagreement coming down the track, there are still many shared aims – for example, around productivity and economic growth. Higher growth is a cross-cutting challenge involving a range of policy levers over which influence and control are dispersed. Many contemporary policy problems are similarly complex and multi-faceted. The different governments and authorities across the UK need to recognise that in order to achieve many of their core objectives, they need to work with others. If the Council becomes an enabler for this kind of collaboration – from exchanging lessons to substantive joint initiatives – then it may get the buy-in it needs to become an established feature of the governance landscape.

However, this will require some give and take from all sides. The UK government will need to cede some ownership. And it could be more ambitious when it comes to the agenda – for example, tabling discussions on foreign policy when there are big geopolitical shifts requiring a strategic response, as has happened recently in Canada. But making this work is a two-way street. Devolved leaders also need to engage constructively, including with those from different political parties. Nervousness about the Council is understandable. But bodies like this are a necessary and important part of making devolution work, and have been a crucial missing ingredient in the past. Now is not the time to get cold feet.

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Alex Walker @alwalker.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Our new report is out! @michaelkenny.bsky.social, Dewi Knight and I look at the Council of the Nations and Regions. This initiative has so far flown pretty under the radar, but we argue it has the scope to be significant. Some key points below. www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/publications...

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Alex Walker @alwalker.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

Nice chart as well 😀

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Alex Walker @alwalker.bsky.social · 10/12/2024

Useful research on public attitudes towards English devo from Labour Together. Includes this chart which suggests public appetite for more collaboration between different tiers of government

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Alex Walker @alwalker.bsky.social · 01/02/2024

Have written something on why politicians will need to do more than just follow the rules for the public to trust them!

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