Mayors
So when will Whitehall take a back seat?
Andrew Carter says that with eight mayors up for election, after a year of centrally-mandated COVID restrictions people have one clear message for the Government: ‘Give us the powers and resources to make the right decisions for our areas’.
Opportunity knocks for West Yorkshire
The winning candidate in the first West Yorkshire mayoral election will have an opportunity to shape the long-term trajectory of the region – and it’s about time, says Zoë Billingham.
Public backs more city devolution
More than eight in 10 people support more devolution to England’s largest cities, a new poll has revealed.
Mayoral votes to use ‘outdated’ system
The Government plans to switch to the first-past-the-post system to elect mayors.
Levelling-up ‘losing its way’
The Government’s methods of levelling-up are further dividing rather than uniting the country, it has been claimed.
Mayors call for self-isolation overhaul
Local government leaders have called for changes to self-isolation payments to increase compliance, but divisions remain over what form they should take.
Heseltine highlights devolution ‘botch’
The former deputy Prime Minister claimed the deals process had curbed ambitions in Cornwall and Newcastle.
Devolution requires ‘impetus from the top’
Prime ministerial backing is the key to making a success of devolution, MPs have heard.
Cross-party leaders call to halt the break up of the union
A cross-party group of council leaders and mayors has written to the Prime Minister calling for action to prevent the break-up of the union.
Communities should be at the heart of the recovery phase
Mayors in the North seem to have grasped the importance of the message that politics can speak to and connect with people in their day-to-day lives, says Dr Arianna Giovannini.
Tory mayor claims Whitehall blocking devolution
One of the biggest challenges to devolution comes from civil servants, the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, James Palmer, has claimed.
LGA presses to move powers out of London
Moving powers from the capital to the regions is more important than moving civil servants, the chair of the Local Government Association (LGA) has said.
Remove 'adversarial' funding to level up regions
Removing competition from local authority funding is needed to level up the country, a think-tank has concluded in a new report.
Combined authority expansion halted by ‘party politics’
The expansion of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) has stalled after leaders failed to reach an agreement.
New enforcement powers expected next week
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham expects the political process to be wrapped up soon after Parliament reconvenes.
Greater Manchester secures £65m lockdown fund
Mayor Andy Burnham has said he expects to get ‘at least’ £65m from the Government to support people affected by tier three coronavirus restrictions.
White van man on... the northern lockdown
I had a right weird dream the other night.
White van man on... mayors
What’s all this stuff about mayors? I mean the foreigners have mayors like in France where there’s thousands of the geezers all in striped sashes and singing The Marseillaise on 14 July, or in the States where they all have huge bellies and chew gum.
Leaders still left out of lockdown talks as PM plans three-tier restrictions
Government’s commitment to engaging with local leaders over their COVID strategy has failed to halt repeated reports of councils finding out their fate through media reports.
Lack of consultation puts lockdowns ‘at risk’
An appeal has been made for the Government to negotiate with the sector over proposals for three tiers of lockdown restrictions.
