Budget 2026: Chancellor promises Sadiq Khan 'radical devolution of power' to fire up London

Budget 2026: Chancellor promises Sadiq Khan 'radical devolution of power' to fire up London

John Healey urged by bosses to champion the capital to boost the economy
Budget 2026: The biggest changes to expect in John Healey’s speech
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John Healey promised a “radical devolution of power” from central Government as he seeks to boost Britain’s economy.

He made the pledge as he faced growing calls to give Lord Sadiq Khan major new tax powers to fire up London, the nation’s economic engine.

The Chancellor was urged to devolve to the London Mayor a proportion of income tax and business rates revenue that “fairly reflects the tax receipts the capital generates”.

Ahead of delivering his first Budget on Wednesday October 28 , Mr Healey said: “Part of tomorrow's announcements will be a really radical devolution of powers and resources to local leaders.

“More power in the hands of the local leaders who know their areas best.”

Andy Burnham meets Chancellor John Healey ahead of the Budget at 11 Downing Street

Earlier, Mr Healey unveiled a series of measures to ease the cost of living for millions of struggling households.

However, with the dire state of the public finances, many of the announcements were small scale.

Regions across England were due to be handed major new powers.

Civic experts urged Mr Healey not to treat London as a “political football” and instead to unleash its economic potential by handing new powers to City Hall to enhance its reputation as the ‘greatest capital in the world’.

The Chancellor may approve a Business Rate Retention Zone for London to fund a £20 million scheme for international trains to stop at Stratford International Station in the east of the city.

<p>An image of Virgin’s planned international trains</p>
Virgin is exploring stopping international services at Stratford

In its submission for the Budget, the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry called for a series of actions including:

* If a proportion of income tax and business rates revenue is devolved, the move should fairly reflects the tax receipts the capital generates, allowing London to invest in the infrastructure and services needed to remain globally competitive.

* Restore VAT-free shopping to make London more internationally competitive for tourists.

* Designate King's Cross and the Elizabeth Line tech corridor as an AI Investment Zone, creating the regulatory conditions to allow London to cement its position as the AI and tech capital of Europe.

* Support airport expansion at Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton, to seek to unlock billions of pounds of private investment and hundreds of thousands of high-skilled jobs across the country.

* Secure a pragmatic new deal with the EU that reduces barriers to trade, improves mobility for skilled workers and establishes a UK-EU Youth Mobility Scheme for 18 to 30-year-olds.

<p>The City of London financial district has strict bylaws on signage</p>
The City is braced for a new tax hit by the Treasury

With banks in the City facing a new Treasury tax raid, possibly of £2 billion a year, the Centre for London also urged Mr Healey not to pit the capital against other regions.

It stressed: “The capital generates around 22% of UK GDP despite having 15% of the population, yet some boroughs have child poverty rates approaching 50%.

“Burnham needs to match his description of London as the ‘greatest capital city in the world’, with a fiscal devolution package that reflects its economic importance and aligns with the ambition offered elsewhere in the UK.”

It emphasised that compared with many international cities, London's leaders have remarkably little control over how money is raised and spent locally.

The Mayor retains just 6% of taxes raised in the capital, compared with around 50% in New York, it explained, as it called for significant fiscal devolution.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives called on Mr Burnham to give mayors the power to offer tax cuts in their areas.

Original source Budget 2026: Chancellor promises Sadiq Khan 'radical devolution of power' to fire up London

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