To understand why these reforms will make a difference, check out our recent on 'Devolution and Urban Regeneration'.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

Good news for mayors in today's Planning and Infrastructure Bill:

📍strengthened powers to create spatial development strategies

📍mayoral development corporations can be used to develop greenfield land as well as regenerating brownfield sites

publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbi...

Finally, throughout the interviews we heard about the personal toll of being a minister.

As summed up by former Scottish Green minister, Lorna Slater, "the ministerial diary is brutal", so looking after "mental and physical wellbeing" is crucial.

Being a minister inevitably involves coming under public scrutiny, but former Scottish health minister Michael Matheson advised "Don't take criticism too personally".

Ash Regan, the former SNP minister durned Alba party MSP, also told ministers to focus on a couple of key priorities because - as she saw it - "so much of being a minister is just other people's priorities".

Humza Yousaf, the former Scottish first minister urged ministers to focus their energy on "two, three or four really big transformative changes".

He said those changes should be "rooted in your values" that ministers "truly believe in"

"Be bold" was the advice from former Welsh First Minister - and current Finance Secretary - Mark Drakeford.

"The system will always tend to advise you to take a bit more time"

Fergus Ewing, reflecting on his 14 years as a minister in Scotland, told us that it is key to "spend a lot of time listening to people that have experience of working" in your policy area.

He warned ministers, "If you don't do your homework [...] you're finished"

Former Welsh Ministers, Hannah Blythyn and Lee Waters, had similar words of warning.

Blythyn advised that "you don't have to agree" with every piece of advice you get.

While Waters told us that ministers shouldn't "be afraid to make an argument for doing it differently."

Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told ministers to "remember you're the decision maker".

She also urged ministers to "give yourself space to think", as "if you allow it, the system will consume you with paperwork."

The English Devolution white paper doesn't necessarily offer all the powers that mayors have been calling for, but it does keep the door open

This is a welcome move, as the @instituteforgov.bsky.social
have prev called for a principle of 'devolve or explain'. As I set out on Times radio last night

The MDC model is gaining traction. With the mayors of London, Greater Manchester and the North East all setting out intentions to create new ones.

The six MDCs already in existence offer a number of lessons for how to make a success of these.

England’s 12 mayors control a wide array of powers to drive regeneration. So choosing the ‘right tool for the job’, that will meet the needs of a local area is key.

The paper draws lessons from six case studies of how these powers have been used so far.

At the Institute for Government we're now live in conversation with Scotland's deputy first minister, Kate Forbes.

Join us online -
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/kate-forbes-deputy-first-minister-scotland
@instituteforgov.bsky.social