Catastrophic dangers await Burnham’s push for English devolution | Phillip Inman

Like France, the UK has always been centralised – and imposing a new political structure brings huge risks

Devolution in England is going to be messy and slow, and brings with it huge risks that Andy Burnham ignores at his peril.

The prime minister’s devolution push will be messy because Whitehall’s ingrained anxiety about handing over money and power will lead to piecemeal deals, starting with a deal for Cornwall that will lack the much-promised driving force of a newly minted mayor.