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United Kingdom: Challenges of Horizontal Coordination Within the Context of Asymmetric Devolution

Bettina Petersohn Orcid Logo

Horizontal Intergovernmental Coordination at Local and Regional Levels, Pages: 349 - 373

Swansea University Author: Bettina Petersohn Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1007/978-3-031-83567-4_18

Abstract

Mechanisms of intergovernmental coordination in the UK are shaped by the asymmetry of the distribution of power between the four nations forming the UK. The chapter discusses the implications of the devolution settlements for vertical and horizontal coordination between devolved and local government...

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Published in: Horizontal Intergovernmental Coordination at Local and Regional Levels
ISBN: 9783031835667 9783031835674
Published: Cham Springer Nature Switzerland 2025
URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71669
first_indexed 2026-03-25T10:20:28Z
last_indexed 2026-04-28T04:31:38Z
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spelling 2026-04-27T11:37:08.5213464 v2 71669 2026-03-25 United Kingdom: Challenges of Horizontal Coordination Within the Context of Asymmetric Devolution cd6b2acb3f91cf76ff9db07cfeb26400 0000-0001-8447-8340 Bettina Petersohn Bettina Petersohn true false 2026-03-25 SOSS Mechanisms of intergovernmental coordination in the UK are shaped by the asymmetry of the distribution of power between the four nations forming the UK. The chapter discusses the implications of the devolution settlements for vertical and horizontal coordination between devolved and local governments, arguing that the asymmetry and the dependence on funding form barriers to establish sustainable, effective horizontal coordination mechanisms. While demands for devolution were met with an increase in self-rule and autonomous decision-making power of devolved governments, the machinery of vertical intergovernmental relations remained underdeveloped. The continued high level of centralisation in England in the area of fiscal autonomy and funding allocation for all parts of the UK, furthermore, impact the aims and direction of local government coordination. The creation of joined-up governance boards at the local level, and private sector-led management boards for stimulating economic growth are major bottom-up initiated coordination mechanisms. The more recent focus of the UK Government on cities and metropolitan areas to counter the over-centralisation of England has resulted in a wave of city deals and city region deals, providing funding and transferring powers over, for example, local public transport, skills, or adult education to joined committees and directly elected metro-mayors. Since the same mode of bilaterally negotiating deals has been used for those decentralisation processes, the result is a further increase in asymmetries within England. The dependency on central government funding has been left largely unaddressed and is further increased after the UK has left the EU and replaced EU funding streams with grants controlled by the central government. Book chapter Horizontal Intergovernmental Coordination at Local and Regional Levels 349 373 Springer Nature Switzerland Cham 9783031835667 9783031835674 Asymmetric devolution; Local government coordination; City deals; Brexit 1 10 2025 2025-10-01 10.1007/978-3-031-83567-4_18 COLLEGE NANME Social Sciences School COLLEGE CODE SOSS Swansea University Other European Cooperation in Science and Technology - COST 2026-04-27T11:37:08.5213464 2026-03-25T10:08:54.9247679 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Social Sciences - Politics, Philosophy and International Relations Bettina Petersohn 0000-0001-8447-8340 1 71669__36603__ce3c7066fcc14e50bdaacf453446d8de.pdf 71669.VoR.pdf 2026-04-27T11:19:48.6486430 Output 310953 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2025 The Author(s). This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title United Kingdom: Challenges of Horizontal Coordination Within the Context of Asymmetric Devolution
spellingShingle United Kingdom: Challenges of Horizontal Coordination Within the Context of Asymmetric Devolution
Bettina Petersohn
title_short United Kingdom: Challenges of Horizontal Coordination Within the Context of Asymmetric Devolution
title_full United Kingdom: Challenges of Horizontal Coordination Within the Context of Asymmetric Devolution
title_fullStr United Kingdom: Challenges of Horizontal Coordination Within the Context of Asymmetric Devolution
title_full_unstemmed United Kingdom: Challenges of Horizontal Coordination Within the Context of Asymmetric Devolution
title_sort United Kingdom: Challenges of Horizontal Coordination Within the Context of Asymmetric Devolution
author_id_str_mv cd6b2acb3f91cf76ff9db07cfeb26400
author_id_fullname_str_mv cd6b2acb3f91cf76ff9db07cfeb26400_***_Bettina Petersohn
author Bettina Petersohn
author2 Bettina Petersohn
format Book chapter
container_title Horizontal Intergovernmental Coordination at Local and Regional Levels
container_start_page 349
publishDate 2025
institution Swansea University
isbn 9783031835667
9783031835674
doi_str_mv 10.1007/978-3-031-83567-4_18
publisher Springer Nature Switzerland
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
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hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
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hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str School of Social Sciences - Politics, Philosophy and International Relations{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Social Sciences - Politics, Philosophy and International Relations
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description Mechanisms of intergovernmental coordination in the UK are shaped by the asymmetry of the distribution of power between the four nations forming the UK. The chapter discusses the implications of the devolution settlements for vertical and horizontal coordination between devolved and local governments, arguing that the asymmetry and the dependence on funding form barriers to establish sustainable, effective horizontal coordination mechanisms. While demands for devolution were met with an increase in self-rule and autonomous decision-making power of devolved governments, the machinery of vertical intergovernmental relations remained underdeveloped. The continued high level of centralisation in England in the area of fiscal autonomy and funding allocation for all parts of the UK, furthermore, impact the aims and direction of local government coordination. The creation of joined-up governance boards at the local level, and private sector-led management boards for stimulating economic growth are major bottom-up initiated coordination mechanisms. The more recent focus of the UK Government on cities and metropolitan areas to counter the over-centralisation of England has resulted in a wave of city deals and city region deals, providing funding and transferring powers over, for example, local public transport, skills, or adult education to joined committees and directly elected metro-mayors. Since the same mode of bilaterally negotiating deals has been used for those decentralisation processes, the result is a further increase in asymmetries within England. The dependency on central government funding has been left largely unaddressed and is further increased after the UK has left the EU and replaced EU funding streams with grants controlled by the central government.
published_date 2025-10-01T07:56:37Z
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