This time last week, First Minister John Swinney used a speech at Glasgow’s State of the City conference to announce a move towards devolution for the Glasgow City Region. He committed to the next parliament introducing legislation to allow Scotland’s regional partnerships to “seek legal status, unlock new powers, and design delivery models tailored to local priorities.”

This is a move in the right direction for the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Region, but one that has also opened up new questions and uncertainties for the future of devolution within Scotland.

A move towards devolution for the Glasgow City Region is welcome

There was plenty to commend in John Swinney’s speech. The First Minister acknowledged that the Glasgow City Region functions as an integrated economy, with Glasgow’s innovative businesses and high-skilled jobs playing a unique role within it. He also recognised the importance of the City Region for the wider Scottish economy, as Centre for Cities has set out.

In announcing the move towards devolution, he noted that the existing Glasgow City Region – based on the City Deal and City Region cabinet – has a strong record of partnership working and delivery, and should be a “pathfinder” for devolution within Scotland.

This displays a welcome understanding of both the need to support Glasgow City Region’s economy, the existing geography and institutions on which to base next steps, and the need to prioritise Scotland’s largest urban economy.

The proposals don’t go far enough

Looking closer at Swinney’s announcement, it remains unclear what exactly could be on offer, and whether it will go far enough in giving Glasgow City Region the powers and leadership it needs.

From last week’s announcement, it appears that devolution to the Glasgow City Region (and other places in Scotland) will be based on Scotland’s existing regional partnerships and will use a cabinet model. Allowing regional partnerships to seek legal status is welcome. Without this, Glasgow City Region cannot hold statutory powers, receive funding directly, raise revenue, borrow or employ staff. But this form of devolution remains based on a partnership model that could hold up decision-making and risks strategic choices for the city-region becoming caught up in local authority politics.

The proposed model also avoids “imposing” a metro mayor. For the people of Glasgow City Region, this means devolution could – ironically – result in the imposition of a new tier of governance with significant powers and funding, but with no democratic accountability and very little transparency. And for the City Region itself, the lack of a metro mayor means the lack of a single, executive leader able to take strategic decisions on behalf of the entire City Region – and to bear responsibility for the results.

Or fast enough

The second big area of uncertainty is the timeline for devolution. The First Minister committed to introducing legislation in the next parliament – already a long and unspecified timeline.

Glasgow City Region will be developing its detailed proposals to discuss with the Scottish Government in early 2026, and it is right that it (and other Scottish city-regions) should have a say in what devolved powers and funding they need. But both the City Region and Scottish Government should bear in mind that Glasgow cannot afford to wait. The longer spent developing the model and legislation, the more it risks falling behind European and English counterparts such as Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield.

It is also a timeline that relies on the next Scottish Government continuing the devolution agenda. In England, there has been broad support and consistency on devolution from successive governments, which has helped progress the agenda over the last decade.

This is why Centre for Cities is calling for all of Scotland’s parties to make devolution to the Glasgow City Region a manifesto commitment to be delivered in 2026. Glasgow City Region is the UK’s fourth-largest city and accounts for a third of Scotland’s GVA. It should be a priority for any party to put Glasgow on equal footing with other large cities in terms of powers, funding and leadership by delivering devolution for the City Region.