Getting the civil service outside London

Michael Gove has called for government decision makers to be spread across the country: from Mansfield to Middlesbrough to Merthyr Tydfil. He won’t be the first to have tried to move policy makers out of London. So why have past efforts not worked as hoped? What can the government do differently this time? And will shifting civil servants around the country really change decision making? Or is more radical devolution of power required? Panellists: Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester Philip Rycroft, former Permanent Secretary in the Department for Exiting the EU Lesley-Ann Nash, former Senior Civil Servant at the Cabinet Office Paul Swinney, Director of Policy and Research at the Centre for Cities Chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government.