Everything you need to know about devolution to the Glasgow City Region
911±¬ÁÏÍø answers key questions about the future of governance in the city-region.
911±¬ÁÏÍø answers key questions about the future of governance in the city-region.
On this page you can find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about devolution to the Glasgow City Region.Ìý
If you have a question on the topic that has not been answered below, please email [email protected].Ìý
For devolution in the rest of the UK and metro mayors, see Everything you need to know about metro mayorsÌý
Over the last decade, the UK Government has devolved powers to big cities in England, with all large cities now covered by a Mayoral Strategic Authority (MSA) led by an elected mayor. Without a devolution deal, Glasgow – the UK’s 4th largest city – is now one of only a few large cities in the G7 without a city-region tier of Government.ÌýÌý
There is now a growing consensus among MSPs at Holyrood, Scottish MPs at Westminster, local authorities across the Glasgow City Region (GCR) and in Whitehall that the city region needs meaningful devolution to realise its economic potential.ÌýÌý
In November 2025, First Minister John Swinney committed to devolving powers to the Glasgow City Region via a City Region Cabinet Model, building on the existing City Deal structure and programme management office. Under Swinney’s proposal, this would be delivered in the next Scottish Government.ÌýÌý
Improving the economic performance of large cities has been the driving force behind devolution in England. Very simply, this is because the UK economy is concentrated in urban areas, but many of these areas underperform compared to similar-sized cities internationally and what is expected for cities of their size.Ìý
Glasgow City Region is a centre of the Scottish and UK economies. The eight local authorities that make up the City Region account for just over 4 per cent of Scotland’s land but around a third of its economic activity and job opportunities. This includes:Ìý
Glasgow is the at the heart of the City Region’s economy. Glasgow accounts for 50 per cent of all jobs in the City Region and 70 per cent of all knowledge-intensive jobs. This means that the fortunes of Glasgow and the wider City Region have an outsized impact on the Scottish – and UK – economies.ÌýÌýÌý
Like other large UK cities, Glasgow is underperforming. If Glasgow was to perform as expected given its size, 911±¬ÁÏÍø estimates that the Scottish economy would be 4.6 per cent larger.ÌýÌý
Currently, Glasgow has limited ability to address this economic underperformance. This is because local government has few economic policy levers to pull – most of these sit in either Holyrood or Westminster. And the powers that do sit locally are fragmented between local authorities and other Government agencies, creating coordination challenges.ÌýÌýÌý
In England, this has changed over the last two decades because the UK Government has established and devolved powers to Combined Authorities and metro mayors in large cities.ÌýÌý
Successive governments have deepened and expanded devolution in England, more mature Combined Authorities have developed significant institutional capacity, and metro mayors are now more recognisable than local council leaders or MPs.ÌýÌý
Without access to similar powers and leadership, Glasgow City Region is at risk of falling behind English cities and missing out on funding such as the Transport for City Regions funding.ÌýÌý
Devolution to the Glasgow City Region would create a tier of Government which matches the City Region’s economic geography, reducing fragmentation. A devolved City Region would have access to more powers and funding at the City Region level. An elected mayor would provide the leadership to make strategic decisions on behalf of the entire City Region, with the aim of supporting the City Region’s economy. Ìý
The Scottish Government will need to decide to devolve powers to the Glasgow City Region and pass associated legislation. The geographical extent, governance structure and the powers devolved will need to be agreed with the local authorities in the region.ÌýÌý
The legislation which enables devolution to a Glasgow City Region Combined Authority (or another legal entity) and the structure of this devolution will have a significant impact on any subsequent deal negotiated with other parts of Scotland.ÌýÌý
Devolution in Scotland should be inclusive and expand to other places in time, but it should start with Glasgow City Region. This is due to the size of its urban area and city-region economy, the impact of its current underperformance, and its existing institutional capacity. The need to start with Glasgow City Region as a ‘pathfinder’ was in November 2025.Ìý
As the Scottish Government is responsible for agreeing on devolution to the Glasgow City Region and passing associated legislation, it does not have to follow the devolution framework adopted in England. The form devolution should take in the Glasgow City Region is still under discussion, but there were several important developments in late 2025.ÌýÌý
Broadly, there are three routes devolution to Glasgow City Region could take.ÌýÌý
This is up to the Scottish Government and local authorities in the City Region to decide, but it can learn from large cities in England and overseas.ÌýÌý
Firstly, to work well, the geography of any city-region institution should broadly match the area that people live and work, so that economic policy making can reflect this reality. The experiences of large English cities show that is easier to work across a slightly under-bounded area rather than a larger, over-bounded area.ÌýÌý
Secondly, a new city-region tier of governance should build on existing institutions and partnership working.Ìý The existing Glasgow City Region covered by the City Deal already provides a strong foundation for a devolution deal. It is economically integrated, with 94 per cent of residents staying in the area for work and with every settlement having workers who commute to Glasgow. It also has a history of partnership working through the current City Deal and regional organisations such as Clydeplan and Climate Ready Clyde.Ìý
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The current City Region covering eight local authorities is smaller than the area covered by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport or the former Strathclyde Regional Council. Both of these geographies extend beyond the City Region’s economic area and could make coordination and decision-making harder.ÌýÌýÌý
Given its size and importance in the Scottish and UK economies, Glasgow City Region should aim to have powers at least like the Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities in Greater Manchester and West Midlands. Most of the powers would be devolved from the Scottish Government, but some would be passed up from local authorities.Ìý
A level of devolution equivalent to these places would also give Glasgow City Region access to an ‘Integrated Settlement’, a combined pot of funding of different departmental budgets, reducing the need to bid for funding pots and supporting long-term investment decisions.ÌýÌý
Not all powers would have to be devolved in one go. In England, more mature devolved areas – Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities – have access to more powers, based on meeting certain conditions.ÌýÌý
And the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will give mayors the ‘right to request’ further devolution of specific powers.ÌýÌý
The table below shows some of the powers available to devolved places in England, depending on their level of devolution.ÌýÌý
Even with successive devolution deals and the right to request, current devolved powers for England’s city-regions are limited compared to what is available to local leaders in other developed countries, particularly when it comes to fiscal devolution.ÌýÌý
The Scottish Government could choose to go further on devolution and devolve more powers to the Glasgow City Region.ÌýÌý
In some cases, devolution could help shift existing policy levers to a more effective level. Take, for example, the Clyde Tunnel. Currently, the costs of maintaining the tunnel are the responsibility of Glasgow City Council, despite it being a key piece of infrastructure for the whole City Region. A proposed toll is unpopular with other local authorities in the City Region, but they have no say in Glasgow City Council’s decision, and national body Transport Scotland have refused to take over management. In a devolved Glasgow City Region, the costs of the Clyde Tunnel would be shared by local authorities across the region, better reflecting its usage. And with a metro mayor, a decision to implement a toll would be made by someone elected by, and accountable to, residents across the City Region.ÌýÌý
In other cases, devolution would provide new policy levers for the City Region and bring these together under one organisation. For example, metro mayors can create spatial plans to align housing and planning. A Glasgow City Region could use this to co-ordinate new housing around existing train stations, or around the proposed Clyde Metro.ÌýÌý
It could also establish mayoral development corporations, statutory bodies which deliver regeneration schemes in specific areas and can be granted special planning powers. A mayoral development corporation could help regenerate former shipyards along the Clyde, the derelict Clune Park estate in Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, or brownfield sites in Glasgow.ÌýÌýÌýÌý
Devolution isn’t silver bullet, and powers without funding will limit what a Glasgow City Region is able to achieve.ÌýÌýÌý
In theory, a devolved Glasgow City Region does not require a directly elected metro mayor (or provost). There are several models for devolution which do not include an elected leader, including the model proposed by First Minister John Swinney.ÌýÌý
In practice, only an elected metro mayor provides the extra leadership, accountability and transparency that should come alongside extra powers and funding for these to be effective and democratic. An elected mayor was set out as a prerequisite for devolution in England in 2015 for these reasons.ÌýÌý
An elected mayor provides an advantage over other models in terms of:ÌýÌý
Under the city region’s current arrangements or a Cabinet or Committee model, strategic decisions can be slow, difficult, or avoided – especially when they create local losers despite delivering city region-wide gains.Ìý
A metro mayor elected by residents across the whole city region, with a four-year mandate, and executive powers to make decisions, is better able to take difficult but necessary decisions that unlock growth for the city region. Ìý
A democratically elected mayor provides a level of transparency which a cabinet or committee does not. Unlike individual local authority leaders who, as councillors, are elected only by the residents of their wards, an elected mayor can be removed or rewarded by voters across the city region.ÌýÌý
With a metro mayor, accountability is direct, rather than diffused among council leaders and regional bodies like Strathclyde Partnership for Transport or Climate Ready ClydeÌý
Metro mayors provide a clear, identifiable figurehead. This clarity matters: funding decisions, public support and national attention all follow visible leadership. Metro mayors can articulate a vision, negotiate directly with government, and attract investment by providing consistency and clarity to partners.Ìý
Metro mayors also act as ambassadors for their regions — nationally at forums like the Council of Nations and Regions and internationally. Cabinets and joint committees, by design, cannot do this.Ìý
Devolution is designed to simplify governance at the city-region level. It ‘declutters’ the policy landscape and brings the relevant organisations, powers and funding streams together under a single elected leader and authority.ÌýÌý
Glasgow City Region has a strong record of partnership working but a devolution deal would formalise arrangements and bring the city-region’s quangos under one umbrella (for example, Glasgow City Region Programme Management Office, Clydeplan, Climate Ready Clyde, SPT).ÌýÌý
Devolution also reduces duplication. There would be a single institution and mayor to represent Glasgow City Region to the UK and Scottish governments, reducing duplication between councils. Integrated Settlements reduce the need for individual councils and quangos to use resources to bid for funding streams.ÌýÌý
Glasgow City Region (and other Scottish urban areas) are already in an advantageous position as there are no two-tier authorities, meaning there is no need for additional local government reorganisation to enable devolution.ÌýÌýÌý
The role of a Mayoral Strategic Authority and metro mayor is to focus on the policy areas and decisions which are better addressed at the city-region level. This is why it is important that devolution deals match economic geography – how people live and work across a city-region.Ìý
This role means Strategic Authorities focus on policy areas such as public transport and connectivity, housing and planning, skills and labour markers, investment and innovation and economic strategy. Local authorities are still responsible for delivery of more personal and community services (such as children’s and adults’ social care, libraries, and recreational facilities) which account for most local government spending.Ìý
Mayoral Strategic Authorities and local authorities work closely together on some issues. For example, a strategic authority will typically manage public transport for the city-region while local authorities continue to manage road maintenance and traffic signalling for their areas.ÌýÌý
The Glasgow City Region City Deal is an agreement between UK and Scottish Governments and eight local authorities, accompanied by a 20-year funding package to deliver agreed projects.Ìý
Devolution to the Glasgow City Region would build on this partnership working and institutional capacity. It would also match the geographical area covered by the current City Deal.ÌýÌý
The difference is that the current Glasgow City Deal centred on the City Region Cabinet and Programme Management Office is not a legal entity which can receive devolved powers, nor does it have an elected leader to provide accountability and transparency.ÌýÌý
Under the current City Deal, powers remain with individual constituent local authorities and local authority teams deliver the City Deal’s work programmes. In contrast, Combined Authorities are corporate bodies able to hold statutory powers, receive funding directly, raise revenue, and employ staff.ÌýÌý
Strathclyde Regional Council existed from 1975 to 1996 and was one of nine upper-tier regions in Scotland. Regional Councils shared some similarities to a Mayoral Strategic Authorities such as wider geographic coverage and responsibility for region-wide transport and strategic planning.Ìý
However, there are key differences.Ìý Regional Councils did not have directly-elected mayors or significant devolved powers beyond those currently available to local authorities. They were also designed to deliver public services rather than support economic growth.Ìý
This is reflected in the geographical areas covered. Strathclyde Regional Council covered a bigger area than the current Glasgow City Region, including what is now Argyll and Bute, South Ayrshire and parts of the Inner Hebrides. This area includes multiple economic areas and both rural and urban economies.ÌýÌý
A devolved Glasgow City Region would be smaller and cover the City Region’s economic area with Glasgow at its heart.ÌýÌýÌý
Transport is a key policy area for Strategic Authorities due to its importance to economic growth. It is also a policy priority for most elected mayors. In the current Glasgow City Region, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) is responsible for public transport including the Glasgow Subway, bus services and infrastructure, and transport planning. Under devolution, SPT would become the City Region’s transport authority and have access to more powers such as managing the key road network.Ìý
However, SPT covers a wider area than the eight local authorities in the current Glasgow City Region, partly because it is a successor to the Greater Glasgow and Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executives which existed under the Regional Council.ÌýÌý
A devolved Glasgow City Region and SPT would have to navigate this discrepancy, but there is precedent for this in how other city-region transport authorities are funded and operate. For example, Transport for London runs services that go outside of the Greater London boundary to commuter towns such as Watford. On the tube, these destinations have special fare zones and pricing, but are still part of London’s integrated transport network.ÌýÌý
There is also precedence for varying local authorities’ roles in a devolved transport authority. For example, Liverpool City Region’s Merseytravel receives some of its funding from a transport levy on five of its six constituent local authorities, with different arrangements for Halton Borough Council. This is because Halton was not part of the previous Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority and remains responsible for some transport functions within its boundaries.ÌýÌý
SPT could perform a similar role in the Glasgow City Region by running services to key destinations outside the borders of the Glasgow City Region. Local authorities which are part of SPT but outside the Glasgow City Region (East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, part of Argyll and Bute) would retain more transport responsibilities.ÌýÌý
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