Council of the Nations and Regions

The Council of the Nations and Regions is a planned body in the United Kingdom that will bring together the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Minister of Scotland, First Minister of Wales, First and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland and the directly elected Mayors of devolved areas in England.

Background
Former prime minister David Cameron had proposed that combined authority mayors sit within an "English Cabinet of Mayors" giving them the opportunity to share ideas and represent their regions at national level. This proposed cabinet of mayors would be chaired by the prime minister and would meet at least twice a year. However, no action was taken by him to form such a cabinet and the idea was quietly dropped.

In 2022, Labour proposed the formation of three complementary bodies to enhance intergovernmental relations. A "Council of the UK" would bring together the prime minister and the heads of the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A "Council of the Nations and Regions" would include the prime minister, the heads of the devolved administrations and mayors of combined authorities in England. A "Council of England", chaired by the prime minister, would bring together combined authority mayors, representatives of local government and other stakeholders in England.

Plans for a council of the nations and regions were included in the Labour manifesto for the 2024 United Kingdom general election. After Labour won that election, new prime minister Keir Starmer met with combined authority mayors on 9 July 2024 and announced the establishment of a council of the nations and regions.

Membership
The membership of the council is expected to be as follows:

Meetings
The council is expected to meet every three months.