‘Give metro mayors greater powers to boost the economy’
DIRECTLY elected “metro mayors” should be given greater powers over key economic drivers such as jobs, skills and housing, according to Lord Michael Heseltine.
The former Tory MP and deputy prime minister has laid out his vision for the West Midlands and five other regions covered by six metro mayors who took power two years ago and outlined 20 separate recommendations.
Chief among them are that the Government should transfer dayto-day responsibility for affordable housing, school performance, skills and employment programmes to combined authorities.
The authorities should also have greater powers to raise local taxes and receive more capital funding for transport, skills and housing.
Lord Heseltine also suggests a new Government department be set up for the English regions, led by a Cabinet minister, while a metro mayors committee be chaired by the Prime Minister.
The report concludes that combined authorities should take on responsibility for affordable housing, school performance and employment training.
In 2012, Lord Heseltine’s report, “No Stone Unturned”, laid the foundations for the Government’s devolution policy which led to the setting up of combined authorities and elections of the first six metro mayors in 2017.
This new report, entitled “Empowering English Cities”, was commissioned by the West Midlands Combined Authority and compiled from interviews with Mayor Andy Street and his counterparts in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Tees Valley and West of England.
It concludes that, while there was progress early on, this has stalled in recent years with political attention focused on Brexit.
Lord Heseltine’s proposals talk about embedding the role of cites in Government while moving funding, powers and staff away from Whitehall to the regions, arguing that cities are better placed to answer the challenges of new technology, low skills and poor infrastructure.
He writes: “We must start with our great cities, the engines of our growth, the rocks upon which our prosperity stands. There is no single solution to tackling these economic chal-lenges. If our great city regions are once again to become the engines of economic growth for our country, it will require long-term and enduring partnership work between the private sector and all levels of Government.
“[This will ensure] that city regions have a good supply of skilled labour, are well-connected, have land available for homes and employment, have rich, innovation ecosystems, often built around a university, and have an attractive cultural offer for their communities.”
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: “Devolution has led to billions of pounds of investment and new powers handed down to the region, meaning we are not consumed by the Brexit logjam of Westminster and can carry on delivering for our regions.
“This new report shows how the next Prime Minister can continue the hard work done by Lord Heseltine and others to really empower city regions in England.”
Devolution has led to billions of pounds of new investment and new powers handed down to the region
Andy Street