Looks like the Lefties are worried that this Tory idea might actually be popular. I saw an interview on Sky News with a Liverpool councillor who wants this offered to them as well.
If Labour came up with this, you'd be all over it.
I am not from the Leeds City Region, I am from Yorkshire.
One problem with the proposal is that the devolution is too concentrated around one place within a county, and another is that we have to have mayors. I don't agree with personality politics.
The House of Commons should meet thrice a week, then on the other two days, MPs should attend assemblies or parliaments in their own regions/nations. No to separate devolved layers of politicians.
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That is exactly what it is not.
The centre is swapping micro-management of LA affairs, for more control over spending. The government can reduce the money spent, while saying that the reduction in e.g. libraries, is the LAs choice. Tricky when an LA has lots of departments all making representations, so put a mayor in charge to make it easy to manage. Just ensure the mayor is easy to push around.
It's a cop-out. The likes of London and possibly Manchester might be able to justify city-state style devolution, but the rest of the country really needs something more fair and even that affects everyone, not just a few people in a couple of token cities.
The House of Commons should meet thrice a week, then on the other two days, MPs should attend assemblies or parliaments in their own regions/nations. No to separate devolved layers of politicians.
Too late ... as far as the currently devolved nations are concerned. Such an arrangement wouldn't work well anyway.
Where is Northern Powerhouse? Can anyone identify it on a map? I know where Yorkshire is, I recognise Lancashire and Northumberland, but Northern Powerhouse? Is it a place George Osborne dreamed up in a Number 10 brain storming session? And if George intends to create some new faux region, would it not be right to consult the people whose identities he seems intent on trampling over?
Its a typical cack handed idea from this government - see a real problem which was created by the government on the first place then find an inept solution to it in the hope it fails.
Of course there's a public mood for further devolution of powers from Westminster...but this is not even back of the **** packet policy it's a back of a matchbook approach to significant constitutional and administrative matters.
Seems strange the Big Idea is giving individual cities some powers. Would have thought to be more effective it would have been a regional solution.
In this case of Manchester, it's the whole of Greater Manchester (population c.2.7m). That can work because the councils already work together in a number of areas. If you attempted to try and bring areas in the surrounding regions into it too, you would hit problems as they would resent being lumped together with Manchester.
Of course it was mooted years ago, it's what's known as electioneering but in the past five years, it has been a UKIP policy and one that the Conservatives decided to nick. Don't be surprised if it splutters to a halt.
In this case of Manchester, it's the whole of Greater Manchester (population c.2.7m). That can work because the councils already work together in a number of areas. If you attempted to try and bring areas in the surrounding regions into it too, you would hit problems as they would resent being lumped together with Manchester.
Liverpool is going to be upset, there's a lot of areas peripheral that are going to be upset and what appears to be on offer is limited
In this case of Manchester, it's the whole of Greater Manchester (population c.2.7m). That can work because the councils already work together in a number of areas. If you attempted to try and bring areas in the surrounding regions into it too, you would hit problems as they would resent being lumped together with Manchester.
That is the problem in the West Midlands, while a few months back some of the West Midlands councils (Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Dudley, Walsall and Birmingham) agreed the need for a 'West Midlands Combined Authority' to oversee regeneration, transport and skills and put in combined bids to government. None of those councils will accept the idea of a Greater Birmingham with an elected mayor, while Tory Solihull and Labour Coventry wouldn't even countenance the idea of a limited combined authority.
Liverpool is going to be upset, there's a lot of areas peripheral that are going to be upset and what appears to be on offer is limited
The Merseyside councils have already banded together as a City Region. If they want a similar arrangement to what GM are getting, then there's every chance they will be allowed to do so.
Oh please. I've seen some melodramatic nonsense in my time but takes it to a whole new level.
This is an idea widely supported by politicians of all parties across the North.
Do you live in the north? I do. Where I live we recently had a council ballot because of an attempted power grab by an adjoining big city. It was rejected. The support for city devolution that I am aware of is from politicians of the major parties in the big cities who are licking their lips at the prospect of building city states with which to fund their retirement.
There's a good article here from a member of a fledgling organisation seeking devolution to a real place with a real history and tradition. Indeed, it was once a kingdom in its own right.
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If Labour came up with this, you'd be all over it.
One problem with the proposal is that the devolution is too concentrated around one place within a county, and another is that we have to have mayors. I don't agree with personality politics.
The House of Commons should meet thrice a week, then on the other two days, MPs should attend assemblies or parliaments in their own regions/nations. No to separate devolved layers of politicians.
That is exactly what it is not.
The centre is swapping micro-management of LA affairs, for more control over spending. The government can reduce the money spent, while saying that the reduction in e.g. libraries, is the LAs choice. Tricky when an LA has lots of departments all making representations, so put a mayor in charge to make it easy to manage. Just ensure the mayor is easy to push around.
It's a cop-out. The likes of London and possibly Manchester might be able to justify city-state style devolution, but the rest of the country really needs something more fair and even that affects everyone, not just a few people in a couple of token cities.
Again, regional devolution, not this rubbish
Help mitigate against Holyrood diktats.
Well, the Tories aren't giving the English a vote on devolution. Are they both anti-England parties?
Too late ... as far as the currently devolved nations are concerned. Such an arrangement wouldn't work well anyway.
Job done.
What about the rural areas of Britain?
This is an idea widely supported by politicians of all parties across the North.
In this case of Manchester, it's the whole of Greater Manchester (population c.2.7m). That can work because the councils already work together in a number of areas. If you attempted to try and bring areas in the surrounding regions into it too, you would hit problems as they would resent being lumped together with Manchester.
Really? Labour were proposing this 15 years ago.
Of course it was mooted years ago, it's what's known as electioneering but in the past five years, it has been a UKIP policy and one that the Conservatives decided to nick. Don't be surprised if it splutters to a halt.
That is the problem in the West Midlands, while a few months back some of the West Midlands councils (Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Dudley, Walsall and Birmingham) agreed the need for a 'West Midlands Combined Authority' to oversee regeneration, transport and skills and put in combined bids to government. None of those councils will accept the idea of a Greater Birmingham with an elected mayor, while Tory Solihull and Labour Coventry wouldn't even countenance the idea of a limited combined authority.
The Merseyside councils have already banded together as a City Region. If they want a similar arrangement to what GM are getting, then there's every chance they will be allowed to do so.
Do you live in the north? I do. Where I live we recently had a council ballot because of an attempted power grab by an adjoining big city. It was rejected. The support for city devolution that I am aware of is from politicians of the major parties in the big cities who are licking their lips at the prospect of building city states with which to fund their retirement.
There's a good article here from a member of a fledgling organisation seeking devolution to a real place with a real history and tradition. Indeed, it was once a kingdom in its own right.
https://penistoneyorkshirefirst.wordpress.com/2015/05/15/northern-powerhouse-is-a-poor-sticking-plaster/