forestgatedotnet

The last directly elected mayor of Newham? 

On Monday the government published its proposals for local government reorganisation and devolution in England.

The English Devolution White Paper (PDF) promises a ‘devolution revolution’ over the course of this parliament. Headlines include plans to extend devolution to all parts of England, additional powers and funding flexibility for mayors, and the replacement of two-tier local government with unitary authorities.

This might sound like good news for Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz and her counterparts elsewhere in London, but they are the wrong kind of mayor. What the government wants to empower are regional mayors and strategic authorities (think Greater London, Manchester, West Yorkshire, the West Midlands).

And on page 32 of the white paper, we read:

Given [regional] Mayors are the government’s strong preference, the deepest powers will only be available at the Mayoral level and higher. Mayors should have a unique role in an institution which allows them to focus fully on their devolved responsibilities, while council leaders must continue to focus on leading their place and delivering vital services. Conflating these two responsibilities into the same individual and institution, as is the case if an individual Local Authority had a mayoral model of devolution, would risk the optimal delivery of both. We will therefore discontinue the individual Local Authority devolution model in its mayoral form. (emphasis added)

Does discontinue mean no more will be established, or that all of the existing ones will be abolished? in the context of the preceding sentences I think it is clear abolition is the intention. 

Given that Newham and four other London boroughs will be holding mayoral elections in less than 18 months time, the government needs to get a move on and legislate or face being stuck with lame duck local mayors until 2030.

Tags: Mayor of Newham, newham