Last week, the Government announced that Cumbria will be one of the first areas in the UK to be granted the power to elect a county-wide mayor.
It’s a move that has come as part of the Government’s wider plans to expand devolution – a process that which aims to transfer power out of Westminster and into the hands of local communities.
Devolution has been happening across the UK since the 1990s and it marks a big change for the way decisions are made on a local level.
But it is also a process that looks different across the country.
So what actually is devolution? Why could it give Cumbria a mayor? what would that do for the county and will it benefit us at all?
What is devolution?
Put simply – devolution is a term used to describe the process of transferring power from Westminster to the nations and regions of the UK.
While it involves a transfer of powers, it is not the same as an American-style federal or confederal system of government, under which every constituent part of a state enjoys autonomy and sovereignty.
Under the UK constitutional tradition of parliamentary sovereignty, devolution is technically reversible. This means that if the Government was to decide to transfer power back to Westminster, it would legally be able to do so.
Devolved institutions or areas across the UK are also considered products of UK statute or law.
The first public votes on devolution were held in 1997 in Scotland and Wales and on both sides of the Northern Irish/Irish border in 1998 as part of the Good Friday agreement, which brought an end to The Troubles conflict.
This led to the creation of Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly.
England has also introduced several devolved mayoral posts which have varying powers.
Has Cumbria been impacted by devolution so far?
Cumbria getting better access to devolution opportunities was one of several reasons that informed the county’s switch to a two unitary council system on April 1 2023.
The unitary council shake-up saw the former set-up of six district councils and Cumbria County Council replaced by Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council.
It marked the biggest change to Cumbria’s council structures since 1974.
As part of the council shake-up plans that started in 2021, proposals were also put forward for a combined mayoral strategic authority.
Just last week, the Labour Party announced a major package of devolution for Cumbria as part of its Devolution Priority Programme – the largest single package of mayoral devolution in England to date.
Westmorland and Furness and Cumberland councils welcomed the news that Cumbria will be included in the programme.
Both councils had agreed to join the programme after they were invited to join it.
They had earlier expressed interest in exploring what greater devolution of powers could mean in Cumbria.
A Government-led public consultation exercise is expected to begin soon with both unitary councils then required to make a final decision on establishing a strategic mayoral authority later in the year.
So, why might Cumbria end up with a mayor?
A major part of devolution involves the introduction of mayors who are directly elected by people living in areas like Cumbria where combined or unitary authorities exist.
Under the Government’s Devolution Priority Scheme, Cumbria has been granted the authority to select a combined authority mayor, which would bring together both Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council.
The Government believes that mayoral devolution is a vehicle for change and that it works because mayors have skin in the game and are accountable for their citizens.
What would a mayor do for Cumbria?
A combined authority mayor would be given powers and responsibilities to make strategic decisions across Cumbria.
Every combined authority mayor is able to do different things based on an area’s devolution deal with the government, but they typically have powers over things like economic development, transport, employment support, planning, and housing.
The elected mayor’s powers may also increase over time and they would be considered a fundamental partner to the government in delivering its missions and allowing areas to take back control.
The Government has also established the Council of Nations and Regions and the Mayoral Council – forums that give mayors the chance to work with other local leaders and engage with government at the highest levels on a regular basis.
It is hoped this will allow mayors to bring local insights on shared national problems and ensure the interests of local communities are represented in the development of government policy.
Would a mayor impact the power of local authority leaders and MPs?
A directly elected mayor would work with local authority leaders to create strategies for the wider area – but ultimately, councils will still be responsible for public service delivery.
Every devolution deal agreed with local authorities also contains a legal agreement on how powers are to be divided between the combined authority and mayor.
Local MPs will be unaffected by the introduction of an elected mayor, but mayors will also be able lobby national politicians on policy matters.
Some areas also choose to merge the role of the police and crime commissioners.
But is a mayor not just another layer of Government bureaucracy?
If Cumbria ends up with a directly elected mayor, the county will also become a combined authority.
While it adds new roles to local government, directly elected mayors are also given new strategic powers that are not available to local government systems that run without a mayor.
How and when would a Cumbrian mayor be elected?
A mayoral election could take place in May 2026.
A Government-led public consultation exercise on the plan to establish a strategic mayoral authority is expected to begin soon, with both unitary councils expected to make a final decision by the end of the year.
But the Government said given the short timescale of the proposed mayoral shake-up – areas were only asked to come forward to be part of the Devolution Priority Programme if they had a readiness to achieve mayoral devolution by the May 2026 deadline.
All major political parties are expected to put forward a candidate for mayor. A deputy mayor will also be appointed.
