The UK governance model is afflicted by a toxic, chronic condition: hyper-centralisation. This is not merely an accident of history but the deliberate, sustained effort of an overarching political class convinced of its own superior knowledge.
The Northern Powerhouse was an idea; now we have the data to judge its implementation. It is time to learn from its shortcomings, to listen to the voices of Yorkshire, and to demand a new path forward.
The UK has historically been one of the most centralized countries in the Western world, with Westminster politics and Whitehall bureaucracy deeply ingrained in almost every aspect of public life. This centralized model of public service delivery has been “tested to destruction,” leading to a lack of excellence and proving both ineffective and expensive due to attempts to micromanage services from the centre