So far, the practice of “accountability” in English devolution has mostly amounted to contractual monitoring by central government. But there are many different purposes to “accountability”: these include monitoring organisational and financial propriety, scrutinising performance, enhancing data transparency, and the opportunity for public and political challenge of mayoral policy.

The Levelling Up White Paper devoted considerable space to enhancing accountability. Its proposals included strengthening local data to enable central government, local government, and members of the public to evaluate progress in localities. And the 2023 Budget committed to awarding “single departmental-style settlements” to Greater Manchester and the West Midlands at the next Spending Review.

The 2023 Budget promised a “single outcomes-based accountability framework” for Greater Manchester and the West Midlands – but the structure and details have yet to be worked through.

For now, the other devolved mayoralties will continue to face considerable central accountability requirements, including business cases for the use of all devolved powers; reporting against spend on each part of their budget, including five-yearly “gateway reviews” applying to their investment funds; and limits on how far they can move money between budgets. The 2023 Budget promised a “single outcomes-based accountability framework” for Greater Manchester and the West Midlands – proposed by the think-tank UK Onward, amongst others. But the structure and details of this approach have yet to be worked through.

The introduction of a single departmental-style settlement could facilitate a less prescriptive approach to accountability. It points towards a smaller range of key measures of progress, backed by reliable data, monitored by robust local bodies. Local capacity and legitimacy would be enhanced by a system that finds an appropriate location for distinct dimensions of accountability: performance measures, propriety, and the public and political challenge of overview and scrutiny.