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House of Lords debate highlights local partnerships at the heart of Ukraine’s recovery

Kent With Ukraine welcomes an important House of Lords debate on Ukraine’s decentralisation reforms and the role that municipal and regional partnerships can play in supporting the country’s recovery, resilience and reconstruction.


The debate, held on 9 July, was secured by Lord Risby, who asked the Government to assess Ukraine’s progress on decentralisation and set out what more could be done to support partnerships between British and Ukrainian local and regional authorities.



We are grateful to Lord Risby for bringing this important subject before Parliament and for continuing to champion our model of recovery that empowers Ukraine’s regions, municipalities and local communities.


Drawing on his recent visit to Kyiv and the Chernihiv region, Lord Risby highlighted the remarkable resilience of Ukraine’s communities and argued that the decentralisation reforms begun after 2014 had played a significant role in enabling the country to withstand Russia’s full-scale invasion. He stressed that decentralisation would also be fundamental to Ukraine’s future democratic development, economic recovery and European integration.


Lord Risby particularly focused on Pillar 9 of the UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership, which commits both countries to developing deeper links between local and regional government. He proposed four practical measures: a national register of UK-Ukraine municipal partnerships; a platform connecting twinning arrangements with practical reconstruction projects; a municipal aid corridor to facilitate donations of equipment; and a dedicated local government fund to enable British communities to participate in the partnership.


We were particularly honoured that Lord Risby used the debate to recognise the work of Kent With Ukraine, telling the Grand Committee of the House of Lords:

“I use this opportunity to pay particular tribute to Kent With Ukraine, an NGO with which I am proud to be associated. Under the voluntary leadership of Jordan Meade, that organisation has, in just two years, helped to secure significantly active partnerships, stemming from region-to-region partnerships and twinning at every other tier in the country. This voluntary work is to be commended; I am sure we will agree that the 100-year partnership must be enabled by government, but built up from the grass roots. I offer the Minister four practical suggestions on how we may take this forward and achieve it.”

Lord Risby also raised the reintegration of Ukraine’s veterans as an example of where decentralisation can make a practical difference. He argued for national standards and entitlements covering areas including rehabilitation, mental health, transport, employment, housing adaptation and disability rights, while ensuring that services themselves are effectively delivered at the local and regional level.


Lord Udny-Lister brought his considerable experience of local government to the debate. He emphasised that while national governments establish policy, local authorities are often responsible for making it work in practice. He paid tribute to Ukrainian local leaders who have continued delivering education, social services and reconstruction under extraordinary wartime conditions.


Lord Udny-Lister placed particular emphasis on the role that British expertise in public procurement, commissioning, financial governance, fraud prevention and supplier assurance could play in Ukraine’s reconstruction. He suggested closer structured co-operation between British and Ukrainian local government procurement professionals, both to help secure international confidence in reconstruction and to protect strategic infrastructure from hostile actors.


Importantly, he also argued that these partnerships must be reciprocal. Britain has much to learn from Ukraine’s extraordinary ability to restore infrastructure, reduce bureaucracy, innovate under pressure and embed resilience and emergency planning at community level. He encouraged the Government and British local authorities to draw lessons from Ukraine as the UK itself undertakes major reforms to local government.


The Earl of Courtown, responding for the Official Opposition, reaffirmed the continuing cross-party commitment to Ukraine. He highlighted the achievements of Ukraine’s decentralisation programme in strengthening local self-government and public service delivery and asked the Government how British local-government expertise could be made more widely available to Ukrainian partners.


He also raised the importance of skills and capacity within Ukrainian public administration, greater parliamentary scrutiny of the 100 Year Partnership, and the involvement of British businesses, Chambers of Commerce and SMEs in rebuilding local economies. Among his suggestions was an annual report on progress under the Partnership and a digital platform showcasing successful UK-Ukraine initiatives in order to encourage further participation by councils, schools and civil society organisations.


At Kent With Ukraine we are particularly encouraged by the positive and proactive response from the Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Baroness Chapman of Darlington.


The Minister described Lord Risby’s four proposals as “excellent and implementable” and confirmed that the Government would consider them thoroughly. She also welcomed the Earl of Courtown’s proposals for regular reporting and a platform showcasing the work being delivered under the 100 Year Partnership, saying the Government would consider what could be taken forward.


Baroness Chapman reaffirmed the Government’s view that strong local government will be essential to rebuilding communities, strengthening resilience and supporting Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic future. She outlined existing British programmes supporting municipalities and civil society, including work in frontline regions, and stressed that Ukraine’s recovery cannot be delivered from Kyiv alone but must involve regional and local communities.


Kent With Ukraine thanks Lord Risby for securing this important debate and for his generous recognition of our work, Lord Udny-Lister and the Earl of Courtown for their thoughtful and practical contributions, and Baroness Chapman for such a constructive Government response and her commitment to exploring the proposals put forward.


The debate demonstrated something that Kent With Ukraine has seen repeatedly through our work on the ground: the UK-Ukraine relationship is strongest when national commitment is translated into practical partnerships between regions, municipalities, schools, businesses, institutions and communities.


Kent With Ukraine Founder Jordan Meade said:


"The 100 Year Partnership must be more than a declaration of friendship. It must become a framework for practical, enduring and mutually beneficial co-operation between our two countries. Kent With Ukraine is committed to strengthening that partnership and to playing a full and practical part in delivering its ambitions. Through our continuing work in the Chernihiv region and across Ukraine, we will continue to build partnerships, connect communities, support recovery and resilience, and create lasting relationships between the people and institutions of the United Kingdom and Ukraine. The task before us now is to turn a 100-year promise into 100 years of practical partnership that delivers on the ground."


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