# Will devolution solve the UK’s economic woes?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ifs-zooms-in-the-economy-638796/will-devolution-solve-the-uk-s-economic-woes
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ifs-zooms-in-the-economy-638796/will-devolution-solve-the-uk-s-economic-woes.md
Podcast: [IFS Zooms In: The Economy](https://stenobird.com/podcast/ifs-zooms-in-the-economy-638796)
Published: 2026-07-09T14:41:31+00:00
Episode link: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/5ea004d9fbcc383829c71657/e/6a4e72fc1c8f5a97d864c8db/media.mp3
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Duration seconds: 2999

## Resource

Over the past few weeks, devolution has moved back to the centre of British politics. Andy Burnham has made the case for a “rewired Britain”: shifting power away from Westminster and Whitehall, creating a new “No 10 North” in Manchester, and giving local leaders a much bigger role in shaping economic policy. But what does devolution actually mean? Who would power be devolved to? What responsibilities could local leaders take on? How would they be funded? And could devolution really help the UK economy grow? Christine Farquharson is joined by Tony Travers, Professor in Practice in the LSE Department of Government, Associate Dean of the LSE School of Public Policy and Director of LSE London, and David Phillips, Associate Director at the IFS, to discuss what devolution means, how England compares internationally, whether “Manchesterism” offers lessons for the rest of the country, and what risks come with giving places more fiscal responsibility. Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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