On Wednesday (1st November), London hosted the first of what is planned to be a series of summits attended by England’s regional and city-wide mayors.
They stated that Britain was one of the most centralised states in the western world, and that devolution was the key to economic growth and improving productivity across the UK.
The areas administered by the city mayors now account for nearly 39% of all British growth, up from 35% in 1997.
The mayors also called for greater control over public services, including skills, training, apprenticeship services and employment programmes.
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Sadiq Khan, mayor of London and one of the politicians in attendance, said: “We may come from different parts of the country and represent different political parties, but we all share the same belief: that the best way to secure ongoing prosperity across the country is by giving city regions more control.
“Many of the most dynamic and prosperous cities and regions in other countries have mayors with substantial powers and funding, and it is high time we followed suit.
“There is no doubt that – as regional mayors – we are the best-placed people to deliver services to meet the specific need of local people, so we are calling on government to speed up the devolution process and give us more ability to improve people’s lives.”
The mayors – four Conservative and three Labour politicians – are:
- Sadiq Khan (London)
- Andy Burnham (Greater Manchester)
- Tim Bowles (West of England)
- Ben Houchen (Tees Valley)
- James Palmer (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough)
- Steve Rotheram (Liverpool)
- Andy Street (West Midlands)
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