Comment: 'After 30 years of Devo talk, this moment is different'

I've been arguing for Devolution for over 30 years - long enough to remember when "power to the regions" was a fringe position rather than a manifesto headline.

I remember John Prescott leading the charge when I was a young candidate, making the case for regional power long before it was fashionable.

So when the East Midlands Chamber and partners launched Devolution Leicestershire it landed somewhere I've been standing for a long time. But the urgency behind it has never been greater.

Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are being left behind. As Chair of the Leicester and Leicestershire Business and Skills Partnership, I've spent recent years championing our readiness to take on more powers.

The numbers make the case better than I can. Around 48% of England's population now lives under mayoral devolved powers, and that share is rising fast. Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland - the largest economy in the East Midlands at £26bn - isn't among them.

Tees Valley receives nine times our skills funding. For every £1 LLR gets for transport, devolved regions get up to £19. Central funding for our business support services currently stands at zero. Yes, that's right - zero.

What's changed is the pace. In a fortnight, more ground has shifted on Devolution than in the previous few years combined.

Having known Andy Burnham for a long time - back when he was making this argument from Manchester rather than Downing Street - I don't think that's an accident. He's moving quickly, and I'm still adjusting to seeing "Prime Minister" next to my friend's name.

Someone who has lived this agenda for a decade is now driving it from the centre -and that changes the odds for places like LLR that remain outside the settlement.

Surely the economic case for not leaving Leicestershire behind is one he recognises better than most.

Devolution Leicestershire's four campaign asks are the right ones: a single unified voice, a governance model that both government and business can trust, a clear roadmap with milestones, and a Local Growth Plan focused on skills, transport, housing and net zero.

That's the groundwork LLR needs to move from outside looking into delivery-ready.

Progress isn't linear - I've learned that through bitter experience in politics. But the direction is right, and the door is opening.

It's time for Leicestershire to walk through it: to put aside the local bickering, come together, and show government that we are ready for the extra powers, responsibilities and investment devolution can bring.