For a long time, the South of England, London in particular, has been seen as the political and governmental home of the UK. Westminster and its members hold power over decisions that affect the entire country, with representatives from across the UK travelling to the capital to speak out for their communities. But with more and more demand from different areas for equality, the geography of politics seems to be changing, and the focus is being shifted to the North.
As the county council elections approach, each candidate is looking to prove their worth. At the same time, Londoners are choosing who will be their Mayor for the next four years, a position that can affect the whole of the UK as well as the city alone. Polling is important in any election, and London Mayor Election odds are allowing people to bet on the outcome of the race as Sadiq Khan seeks to copy his predecessors and earn a second term in the position. Often, more attention is given to this role and the candidates competing for it, but county council elections may be more important than we realise.
The government has announced that 200 Cabinet Office jobs will be moving to York over the next five years. York is one of the most famous and well-loved cities in Yorkshire and will be able to provide a hub for Northern politics which until now hasn’t existed. The argument that politicians should be near the communities they serve drives the decision and it will hopefully reduce the divide between the South and the North of England in the future.
Similarly, Rishi Sunak announced in his 2021 budget that a ‘significant portion of the UK Treasury would be moving to a base in Darlington, County Durham. Sunak claimed that several civil leaders in the North, such as Leeds and Newcastle had also approached him about being home to the new base. This shows a positive reception to UK politics actually becoming UK-based, and a hope that Northern politicians will be given a ‘top seat’ at the table of government.
As mentioned previously, York is being considered by Whitehall for several job movements, and has also been looked at in terms of a ‘second city’ – London being the first – where senior civil servants will reside and make policy decisions. The logistics of moving entire departments, or even the House of Lords, which was considered in 2020, to a different region of England would be a huge undertaking. However, with less tolerance of a country that is governed by one city, the move would make good progress in improving relations between the North and South, as well as creating more diversity within politics.
Whilst the elections for London Mayor and County Councillors goes underway, it is worth noting that Northern cities, and their voices, are being considered by the government and that we could see huge changes within the next decade that would alter a balance that has remained the same for centuries.
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