The coronavirus has brutally exposed the imbalance of power between regional and national government.

As cases climbed and local lockdowns kicked in, so calls grew for localised track and trace, localised data access, and localised support packages. And the decades old tug of war between national and local, centralised and decentralised, commenced.

‘They have been treating the North with contempt,’ said Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester. ‘This is an important moment in the political life of our country.’

Is it? Could the pandemic serve as a catalyst to redressing the longstanding imbalance of power in the UK? And what role does transparency, accountability and the participation of citizens have in any change that takes place?

Join the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Michael Heseltine, the Open Government Network and others, to contribute to a global conversation about change post pandemic as part of the OECD’s Government After Shock.

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