Devolution can't be limited to mayors, leader says
Newcastle City CouncilA council leader has called on the new prime minister to extend more powers to local authorities and not just regional mayors.
Newcastle City Council's Colin Ferguson said "fair funding" for local government needed to be higher on the agenda for whoever replaces Sir Keir Starmer, widely tipped to be former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
"Andy Burnham talked about greater devolution for regions, which we would welcome, but it can't just be funding for regional mayors," the Liberal Democrat said. "Local councils, and cities like Newcastle, must have a seat at the table, better funding, and greater freedom to act."
The government has been approached for comment.
Meanwhile, Northumberland Conservative councillor Nick Oliver also called on the new prime minister to give local authorities the "freedom and financing they need to deliver locally".
The calls follow a warning by the Local Government Association (LGA) that local authorities in north-east England are facing a more than £200m shortfall over the next three years.
Labour ministers did announce major council funding changes last year, aimed at providing longer-term settlements to give greater certainty and diverting more money to deprived parts of the country that were "penalised" under previous formulas, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
But that also sparked concerns in rural areas like Northumberland, where Oliver accused the government of "kicking the can down the road".
