Strength to Co-operate Report Calls for Greater Collaboration Between UK Governments

A new report from PolicyWISE argues that the UK’s governments and regional authorities must work more closely together to tackle shared challenges, including healthcare, immigration, artificial intelligence and national resilience.

The report sets out how political leaders in the UK are failing to learn from each other and need to work in a new positive and collaborative way, regardless of which government has lead responsibility in vital areas including the Cost of Living, ending violence against women and girls, integrating AI into public services and improving national resilience (including eradicating antisemitism). 

Despite their political differences, the public’s priorities are similar across each of our nations and regions, and there is the urgent need for our governments to recognise these shared concerns and address them. 

This is of particular significance now because we have new nationalist governments in Wales and Scotland, a nationalist First Minister in Northern Ireland and a potential new Labour leader committed to further devolution in England. The PolicyWISE ‘Strength to Co-operate’ report shows the public expects the governments to co-operate on these major issues and how it can be done. 

The majority of the UK Government’s decisions only directly effect England. Therefore, to make progress on major UK-wide challenges, we need our four governments (and regional authorities) to find a new way of working in partnership. Following May’s elections, this is an urgent issue. 

The report has some critical findings: 

• Taking action to eliminate violence against women and girls (VAWG): collaboration in this area would provide a clear sign from all governments that they are willing to share learning and co-ordinate action, demonstrating that intergovernmental relations can be a positive force for tackling major societal issues
• The integration of AI into public services: collaboration is needed to effectively and safely integrate AI and other emerging technologies into public services that are devolved. It is also necessary to foster and maintain trust in these new technologies
• Building the UK’s resilience to geo-political shocks: recent geopolitical shocks/events have disrupted supply chains and global alliances, and now it is even more important that governments collaborate to improve the nation’s resilience. The UK should learn from Canada’s success in this area, particularly how investing in infrastructure makes intergovernmental cooperation routine and supports officials and promotes continuity. 

For further insight into devolution, intergovernmental relations and public attitudes across the UK, read our related reports: From isolation to innovation: a cross-nation agenda for better policy learning, Public Attitudes Toward Intergovernmental Cooperation in Scotland and Wales, and A More Collaborative Way of Governing? Why the UK’s Council of the Nations and Regions Matters.