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A report by the Institute for Government (IfG) has outlined recommendations on how devolution can be extended to the whole of England, including Luton and Milton Keynes.

It details how the Labour Party can accelerate its devolution agenda and secure a full devolution deal by the end of the current Parliament in 2029.

Devolution is the process by which powers and funding are transferred from national to local Government.

A recommendation to address a so-called “devolution desert” in the South of England is for a mayoral deal incorporating historic county maps of Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to bring devolution to areas including Luton, Northampton and Milton Keynes.

A report by the Institute for Government has provided recommendations for how devolution can be completed across the whole of England by the end of the current Parliament

The IfG report says Ministers must be prepared to take on the final decisions over boundaries, based on factors including account scale, economic geography, local political commitment, ease of implementation, other public sector boundaries and historic patterns of regional and local identity.

However the report also acknowledges that “there is no single option that ticks all the boxes.”

Other recommendations include a metro mayor covering the Thames Valley region, as well as devolution settlements across Hampshire and Sussex.

Currently around 30 million people, about half the population, live in an area with no devolved settlement.

Co-author of the report Matthew Fright said: “In calling for a ‘devolution revolution’ the new Government has signalled a clear aspiration to extend devolution to the almost 30 million people in England currently without a Mayor.

“This is a challenging task that will require tough decisions, but with political will and focus, the Government can complete the map within this Parliament.”

Recommendation to bring devolution to areas including Luton and Milton Keynes