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Rewiring the State
02 September 2026
Lead MP
Louise Haigh
Debate Type
General Debate
Tags
EconomyTaxationEmploymentTransportClimateScotlandCommunity SecurityDemocracy & ElectionsBusiness & TradeParliamentary ProcedureLocal Government
Other Contributors: 49
At a Glance
Louise Haigh raised concerns about rewiring the state in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
The Prime Minister has set out priorities to address 40 years of overly centralised decision making and over-privatisation, which have stripped power and resources away from communities. The Government aims to take power from Westminster and Whitehall, putting it in the hands of communities. The newly formed Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (OPMC) will drive forward work to put essentials like water, transport, energy, and housing under greater public control. The Government is working to empower strategic authorities and grant them new powers to take more control over the future of their regions, including business rates and housing. The Government plans to end the system of two-tier devolution by 2028, delivering maximum benefit to the people in every postcode. The Government is also making public procurement simpler and prioritising British jobs and skills through reforms. The Department is strengthening national resilience and coordinating the Government’s response to emergencies, such as unprecedented wildfires. The Government is taking a strategic approach to preparedness and working closely with frontline services and local resilience forums to mitigate risks posed by extreme weather and drought.
Louise Haigh
Lab
Sheffield, Heeley
The Prime Minister has set out priorities to address 40 years of overly centralised decision making and over-privatisation, which have stripped power and resources away from communities. The Government aims to take power from Westminster and Whitehall, putting it in the hands of communities. The newly formed Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (OPMC) will drive forward work to put essentials like water, transport, energy, and housing under greater public control. The Government is working to empower strategic authorities and grant them new powers to take more control over the future of their regions, including business rates and housing. The Government plans to end the system of two-tier devolution by 2028, delivering maximum benefit to the people in every postcode. The Government is also making public procurement simpler and prioritising British jobs and skills through reforms. The Department is strengthening national resilience and coordinating the Government’s response to emergencies, such as unprecedented wildfires. The Government is taking a strategic approach to preparedness and working closely with frontline services and local resilience forums to mitigate risks posed by extreme weather and drought.
Alex Burghart
Con
Brentwood and Ongar
The state needs rewiring to address issues like quangos, bureaucratic control by the Treasury, and legal constraints. The creation of the OneGov Delivery Agency is a step in the wrong direction as it will limit Ministers' power over important services. The Government needs to reduce the size of the civil service, ensure devolution serves local interests, and clarify the financial implications of the reorganisation.
Louise Haigh
Lab
Sheffield, Heeley
The Government plans to cut taxes and streamline the state to ensure democratically elected politicians can make decisions. No. 10 North has been fully funded from existing Cabinet Office budgets, with no additional spending pressure. The central civil service is expected to shrink, and the Government is committed to building the capacity and capability of regional and local government. Strategic functions have been transferred to No. 10 North to streamline delivery of the Prime Minister's priorities.
Clive Betts
Lab
Sheffield South East
Congratulates the First Secretary on her promotion and the Government's commitment to devolution. Suggests looking at the education system, particularly the lack of sixth form options in deprived areas, when considering devolution to bodies with democratic control.
Louise Haigh
Lab
Sheffield, Heeley
The Government acknowledges the need for devolution and is committed to providing the necessary resources and powers to councils. On digital sovereignty, the taskforce under the Minister for Artificial Intelligence is considering the issue. The Government will work to cap political donations and introduce a fairer voting system to address big money in politics. They will also launch a campaign to raise awareness of emergency preparedness.
Paul Foster
Lab
South Ribble
Lancashire needs devolution and an elected mayor to unlock investment and prosperity. The First Secretary of State should facilitate a meeting with No. 10 North to address this need.
Oliver Dowden
Con
Hertsmere
While supporting the need for a more decentralised government, the speaker calls for civil service reform to empower high-performing civil servants and reduce unnecessary headcount.
Anneliese Dodds
Lab
Oxford East
The Government should ensure that risks from AI misalignment are addressed, and regulations should be introduced to control frontier models and coordinate with international partners.
Simon Hoare
Con
North Dorset
The Government's efforts to rewire the state should be seen as a continuous process and not a one-off event. The speaker urges the First Secretary to ensure that the process is sustained and supported by adequate resources.
Torridge and West Devon
The Government's renewed focus on reindustrialisation is welcomed. The speaker seeks a meeting to discuss public sector procurement specifications related to personal protective equipment (PPE).
Steve Darling
Lib Dem
Torbay
The speaker asks how the Government's reforms will support areas with high levels of deprivation, such as his constituency, to ensure that devolution brings benefits to all communities.
Toby Perkins
Lab
Chesterfield
Toby Perkins congratulates the First Secretary on her role and expresses concern over the impacts of climate change, noting that 2,500 people are estimated to have died this summer due to extreme heat. He questions whether there are plans to bring forward a new national adaptation plan, given that the previous one was derided and there is no plan until 2028.
Julian Lewis
Con
New Forest East
Julian Lewis questions the transparency of the new No. 10 North and No. 10 South arrangements, asking for details on how many people are working in each location and the number of people moving between them.
Noah Law asks about the steps taken to ensure that both national and local government have the financial analytical capability to identify the most promising investment cases and help shepherd them towards success.
Graham Leadbitter discusses the Cairngorms wildfire in his constituency and calls for a review of the lack of military aerial firefighting capability within the UK to provide assistance in prolonged incidents.
Amanda Martin raises concerns about Southern Water pumping sewage into the seas and urges the First Secretary to set out the Government’s plans to reform the industry and give the public greater control over water companies.
Julian Smith
Con
Skipton and Ripon
Julian Smith welcomes the First Secretary to her place and raises concerns over the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs putting further constraints on moorland owners, which could make moorland areas more vulnerable to wildfires in the future.
Andrew Pakes welcomes the First Secretary to her place and discusses the historic commitment to double the size of the co-operative and mutual economy, highlighting the importance of double devolution to give power directly to people to create their own solutions in communities.
Alistair Carmichael
Lib Dem
Orkney and Shetland
Alistair Carmichael raises the issue of clean energy development concentrating power in the hands of big corporates and asks if communities hosting renewable energy developments will have control and get direct financial benefit from them.
David Mundell
Con
Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale
Congratulated the First Secretary of State on her appointment and expressed concerns about the Scottish Government's push for independence, urging the Government to play its part in making the case for the Union.
Welcomed the First Secretary of State to her place, expressed concerns about wildfires affecting Monmouthshire, and raised issues regarding civil service pensions and the need for improved service levels.
Called for a climate protection unit in the Cabinet Office to drive a cross-Government approach to prepare for an ever-warming world and keep people safe.
Supported the First Secretary of State's aim to drive growth in every postcode, specifically highlighting the regeneration of Belper mills in Mid Derbyshire and requesting a meeting at No. 10 North to facilitate further investment.
Andrew Murrison
Con
South West Wiltshire
Asked the First Secretary of State to review large organisations like the National Trust that exist within the public domain and serve the public, suggesting it falls within the scope of her work to rewire Whitehall.
Called for the First Secretary of State to set up a meeting with leaders and MPs from across the Thames valley to agree on devolution and empower communities.
Praised the firefighters for their bravery in tackling wildfires and asked the First Secretary of State to outline urgent actions to protect rural communities from future wildfire risks.
Expressed gratitude to the First Secretary of State for her comments on wildfires and thanked the firefighters for their bravery. He urged the inclusion of retained firefighters' voices in preparing for the changing climate.
Asked about the allocation of the £100 million for fire services and inquired about the asset refresh programme for firefighters.
Inquired about the devolution of powers to build new tramlines and the commitment to mass rapid transit systems in places like Leeds.
Expressed concerns over the increase in the size of the state and the potential slowdown in decision making due to the new structure.
Welcomed the creation of No. 10 North and asked about the balance of R&D spend across the country to support economic growth in every region.
Asked about the continuation of London-weighted salaries for civil servants and Ministers working outside London.
Praised the First Secretary for her family connection to the fire services and welcomed her to her place. He supported the government's investment in his town and discussed the importance of utilising the expertise of the charity and voluntary sector.
Suggested appointing a Minister for neurodiversity to help ensure decision makers across the country understand the challenges related to neurodivergence.
Supported the First Secretary's determination to rewire the state and suggested discussing the role of MPs in relation to the devolution of powers.
Welcomed the powers being devolved to England but questioned why minimal powers were being considered for Wales, particularly regarding the vacant land tax.
Asked for clarity on business rates and the structure that is causing the decline of high streets and hospitality sectors.
Congratulated the First Secretary on her post and requested a meeting to discuss support for families affected by flooding in his constituency.
Asked about the equipment and support for West Sussex fire and rescue service and the need for a sustainable financial footing.
Brendan O'Hara
SNP
Argyll and Bute
Critiqued the Prime Minister for neglecting Scotland and the Cairngorm wildfire, questioning the wisdom of focusing solely on an English domestic agenda.
Asked about the Government's plan to cut VAT rates to support local businesses and high street regeneration.
Called for a review of the local government reorganisation in Devon, which divides communities and creates unequal growth opportunities.
Asked about the purpose of the Cabinet Office in the new government structure and the role of the Cabinet Secretary.
Layla Moran
Lib Dem
Oxford West and Abingdon
Asked for a meeting to discuss suicide prevention and the need for interdepartmental collaboration and shared governance.
Asked how the reforms will ensure that communities with the greatest needs receive the necessary investment, citing the example of hospitals lacking capacity.
Asked about the closure of Cheltenham West fire station and requested support for fire services to cope with increased wildfires.
Asked for a review of the decision to split Oxfordshire into three authorities and support for alternative solutions.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Asked for a commitment to work on replacing the outdated Barnett consequential framework with a needs-based funding floor for Northern Ireland.
Louise Haigh
Lab
Sheffield, Heeley
The Prime Minister mentioned earlier in Prime Minister's questions that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has initiated a negotiation process with Stormont to address funding pressures. Haigh emphasises the necessity of reforming the decision-making processes at Stormont to prevent recurring funding issues, asserting that the negotiations should lead to genuine reform.
Government Response
EconomyTaxationEmploymentTransportClimateScotlandCommunity SecurityDemocracy & ElectionsBusiness & TradeParliamentary ProcedureLocal Government
Government Response
The Government plans to cut taxes and streamline the state to ensure democratically elected politicians can make decisions. No. 10 North has been fully funded from existing Cabinet Office budgets, with no additional spending pressure. The central civil service is expected to shrink, and the Government is committed to building the capacity and capability of regional and local government. Strategic functions have been transferred to No. 10 North to streamline delivery of the Prime Minister's priorities. The Government is looking at the issue of sixth form options in deprived areas and the devolution of 16-to-19 funding. The Government acknowledges the need for devolution and is committed to providing the necessary resources and powers to councils. On digital sovereignty, the taskforce under the Minister for Artificial Intelligence is considering the issue. The Government will work to cap political donations and introduce a fairer voting system to address big money in politics. They will also launch a campaign to raise awareness of emergency preparedness. Louise Haigh, the First Secretary, responds to questions about devolution, climate resilience, wildfires, water privatisation, and energy reforms, emphasising the Government’s efforts to strengthen national resilience, devolve powers to regions, and reform the water and energy industries. Responded to various questions by affirming the Government's commitment to addressing issues related to London's devolution settlement, intergovernmental relations, civil service pensions, climate change, and the voice of firefighters. She also highlighted the need for a cross-Government approach and the establishment of a wildfire summit. Responded to each question with specific details on the government's plans for rewiring the state, including devolving powers for transport infrastructure, funding for fire services, and the structure of business rates. Responded to various questions, committing to consider issues like wildfire equipment, hosting meetings for local government reform, and addressing health and social care needs. She emphasised the Government's focus on devolution and fair funding.
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