The Government should review the requirement to have a directly elected mayor to achieve the highest levels of devolution, MPs say.
In a new report on the levelling up white paper, the Devolution APPG has urged the Government to rethink what it calls a ‘culture of centralisation’ in Westminster.
As part of this rethink, the APPG says the Government should allow councils to negotiate deals that best fit their local institutional arrangements, rather than forcing them to accept a directly elected mayor in exchange for the maximum levels of devolution.
The report also calls on the Government to expand the devolution framework to look more closely at what functions and resources will be available for areas such as public health, skills and further education.
In the foreword to the report, the group’s chair Andrew Lewer wrote: ‘The appetite for new devolution deals is very clear, and we know from our evidence that where they are right, they can be transformative.
‘The Government must, however, listen more to local communities about what they want and what works for them. It is clear that for levelling up to truly succeed it must be locally led and draw on the deep well of skills and experience in our existing local government structures.
‘Through that strong local leadership and a clear view of where we are going, we can significantly improve outcomes across the board from areas that have previously felt left behind.’
Commenting on the publication of the report, Cllr Kevin Bentley, chairman of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) People and Places Board said: ‘As this report acknowledges, there is an urgent need to turbo charge the speed at which we are devolving powers to local areas.
‘Now the new Prime Minister is taking office, it is vital that the Government recommits to its plans to empower our communities and roll out devolution across England as quickly as possible.
‘This includes continuing to provide areas with more powers to deliver improved transport systems, create local employment opportunities and attract economic investment in their communities.
‘Turning levelling up from a political slogan to a reality will only be achieved if councils have the powers and funding they need to address regional inequality, tackle concentrations of deprivation and make towns and communities across England attractive places to live, work and visit.’
