Council of the Nations and Regions Cyngor y Cenhedloedd a’r Rhanbarthau (Welsh) | |
|---|---|
 Logo | |
| Type | |
| Type | Quasi-intergovernmental ofUnited Kingdombody |
| History | |
| Founded | 2024 (2024) |
| Leadership | |
Chair | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 19 |
 | |
Political groups |
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| Meeting place | |
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| First meeting of the council in Queen Elizabeth House,Edinburgh, Scotland, 11 October 2024 | |
| Website | |
| Council of the Nations and Regions | |
TheCouncil of the Nations and Regions (Welsh:Cyngor y Cenhedloedd a’r Rhanbarthau) is a quasi-intergovernmental political body in the United Kingdom.
The council's members are the holders of the offices ofprime minister of the United Kingdom,first minister of Scotland,first minister of Wales,first and deputy first minister of Northern Ireland,mayor of London, and the 13 Englishcombined authority mayoralties.[1]
The council is separate from thePrime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments Council, which brings together only the heads of the UK's central and devolved governments, or from theBritish-Irish Council, which brings together the heads of the UK's central and devolved governments, the governments of theCrown dependencies, and the government of theRepublic of Ireland.
In 2022, theLabour Party published a report onconstitutional reform proposals byGordon Brown titledA New Britain: Renewing our Democracy and Rebuilding our Economy.[2]
A chapter of the report was dedicated to the matter of improving intergovernmental relations and devolution.[3][2][4] One proposal was for the formation of a "Council of the UK", which would bring together the UKprime minister and the heads of the devolved governments ofScotland,Wales andNorthern Ireland to manage relations and coordinate efforts between the four governments.[5] A second proposed body was a "Council of England", chaired by the prime minister, which would bring together the mayor of London,combined authority mayors, representatives oflocal government, and other stakeholders in England. A third proposed body was the "Council of the Nations and Regions", which would bring together the UK prime minister, the heads of the three devolved governments, and the mayor of London and combined authority mayors in England.[5]
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Plans for a council of the nations and regions were included in the Labour manifesto for the2024 UK general election.[6] Following Labour's victory in the election, on 9 July the new Prime MinisterKeir Starmer met England's combined authority mayors and the mayor of London and announced plans to establish a council of the nations and regions.[7][8][4] The Scottish Government said that they had not been informed of the plans prior to the announcement.[4]
At the 2024Labour Party Conference, Labour reiterated its commitment to the proposals, saying that all areas of England "should eventually be covered by mayoral devolution", which would then mean all areas of England would be represented on the Council.[9]
The first meeting of the Council of the Nations and Regions took place on 11 October 2024 in Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh.[10] The work of the council will be supported by a secretariat of UK government officials.[11][clarification needed]
The council's members are the holders of the offices ofprime minister of the United Kingdom,first minister of Scotland,first minister of Wales,first and deputy first minister of Northern Ireland,mayor of London, and the 11 Englishcombined authority mayoralties.[1][4][12][13]
According to a press release issued by the UK government, thedeputy prime minister of the United Kingdom and theminister for intergovernmental relations will also attend the council, and that other ministers may be invited to attend on an ad hoc basis.[11] The membership of the council is expected increase as new mayoralcombined authorities are established in England.[11]
The current members of the council are:[10]
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The first meeting of the council took place in October 2024. The council meets twice a year.[10]
| Meetings of the Council of the Nations and Regions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Location | Host |
| 11 October 2024 | Queen Elizabeth House,Edinburgh[14][10] | Scotland |
| 23 May 2025 | Lancaster House,London[15][16] | England |
Media related toCouncil of the Nations and Regions at Wikimedia Commons
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