New report sets out options for city-region policy in Scotland

A new report, written by the University of Glasgow's Dr David Waite and Professor Graeme Roy, with University of Strathclyde's Professor Stuart McIntyre and Professor Niall G MacKenzie, looks at regional and city-region policy, and the growing demand for it to become a central focus policymaking in Scotland.

It draws upon new research into the operation of city-region economic development policymaking in Scotland.

It makes several observations and sets out a potential framework that links city-region local authorities, the Scottish Government and UK Government in arrangements - within a tiered structure - for further regional development and devolution.

Read the report: Next steps for city-region policy in Scotland: Setting out the options

Summary points from the authors:

Regional development policy has been relatively modest and ad hoc in Scotland over the last two decades, though a number of positive aspects have emerged from deal-making.
Sub-national devolution does not automatically lead to economic growth; how institutions work is key.
Scotland’s economic development landscape is cluttered. We seek not to add more, but rather to consider how, for regional development purposes, existing bodies can work together more effectively.
Effective regional development policy in Scotland will require some coming together and agreement between UKG and SG; finding existing common ground, perhaps through the industrial strategy, offers a way forward here.
On Mayors – maybe later; let’s see? Trilateralism is complex, so parties need to agree in the coming years on what accountability for autonomy looks like in the Scottish regional context. Our framework suggests a way forward.

This work is resourced by the ESRC impact Acceleration Account (IAA) distributed by the University of Glasgow and University of Strathclyde.

Read the report: Next steps for city-region policy in Scotland: Setting out the options