Greater Manchester to get London-style mayor

Greater Manchester has agreed a landmark deal with the government that will see the city region governed by a London-style mayor with powers over transport, housing, planning and policing.

Chancellor George Osborne announced the deal today, which includes proposals to devolve further powers to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), including over support for business growth, skills and help to join up health and social care budgets.

Osborne said the deal, which ends years of opposition from the ten councils across Greater Manchester to the metro-mayor model, would create a powerful devolved administration with strong political leadership that can drive through policy to stimulate economic growth and plan strategically across the city, as well as nationally and internationally.

The government will now prepare legislation to enable the change, with the mayoral election likely to take place in 2017.

Although there are other city mayors across the country, such as Liverpool, this will be the first time a city region, comprising multiple local authorities, has taken on the metro mayor model outside the capital.

Osborne said he hoped Manchester would be the first of many big cities to take advantage of greater devolution of powers.

He said: “This is a massive moment for the north of England and our plan to build the Northern Powerhouse.

“After several months of private discussions with local representatives from all three parties, I have reached agreement with the civic leaders of Greater Manchester to create the first metro-wide elected mayor outside of London.

“This will give Mancunians a powerful voice and bring practical improvements for local people, with better transport links, an Oyster-style travelcard, and more investment in skills and the city’s economy.

“I want to talk to other cities who are keen to follow Manchester’s lead - every city is different, and no model of local power will be the same.

“Giving cities power is part of our long term economic plan to reduce the decades-old gap between north and south, London and the rest.”

Lord Peter Smith, chair of GMCA and leader of Wigan council, said: “Make no mistake, this devolution settlement is a momentous moment for Greater Manchester.

“It gives us greater control over own destiny in several key areas and the ability to base decisions on local priorities and needs rather than on ‘one size fits all’ dictates from Westminster.

“This isn’t about taking powers from individual Greater Manchester authorities. “It’s about powers coming down from central government to a more localised level.”

Sir Richard Leese, vice chair of GMCA and leader of Manchetser City Council, said: “Greater Manchester has been in the vanguard of the national devolution debate. It was clear that an over-centralised national system was not delivering the best results for our people or our economy.

“We are extremely pleased that we can now demonstrate what a city region with greater freedoms can achieve and contribute further to the growth of the UK.

“Our ultimate ambition is for full devolution of all public spending in Greater Manchester, currently around £22bn a year, so that we either influence or control the whole amount.

“We recognise that this cannot happen overnight and there needs to be a staged approach based on evidence that devolution delivers increased economic growth and better public services. But today’s settlement is a huge move forwards and a road map for the future.”