On 2 May a host of new metro mayors took office in England. In the post-Covid period, older people have emerged as political superheroes. They are effective advocates for their regions and achieve better public recognition and higher popularity polling than most MPs. In the north-east, we have a new mayor who will represent the extended North East Combined Authority: an area that stretches from the Scottish border to the boundaries of Teesside, with a footprint similar in size to Wales.
The major wars to win this territory have caused significant ructions in Labour. By deselecting former party member and serving North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll in favor of the police and crime commissioner Kim McGuinness, Labor created a cause candidate. Driscoll crowdfunded his campaign and squared off with McGuiness in a red-on-red battle at the ballot box.
Although McGuinness was victorious, the strong showing for Driscoll and overall low turnout – just 31 per cent – is a timely reminder that local does not always translate into the national. Labor has some way to go in selling itself – and devolution – to the north.
Shape of return
Sitting as part of Gordon Brown’s future of the Union commission, I saw how Labor can shape the future of devolution. The combined authority model requires mayors and local leaders to work together in an Avengers Assemble approach. Yet dealings are often more game of Thrones. The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority has been put into special measures by the government, and relations in the West of England Combined Authority have also turned sour. Further north, the freeport saga in Ben Houchen’s Tees Valley is a reminder that for elders, as with superheroes, great power comes with great accountability.
Tees out the Tories
Teesside has once again failed for the rhetoric-over-delivery of its controversial mayor, with Houchen re-elected on 2 May. If, as London-based media buzzed, his fate is the fate of the Conservative Party, then things could be about to get interesting. Houchen appeared keen to distance himself from party politics, failing to mention his party in his speech, “forgetting” his blue rosette and acting like an uncomfortable ex, standing awkwardly away from Rishi Sunak for the press call.
Select and enter your email address
The Saturday Read
Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com
Morning Call
The New Statesman’s quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com
The Salvo
Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com
Events and Offers
Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates.
The Green Transition
Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman’s Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
Your email address
Job title
- Job title
- Administration / Office
- Arts and Culture
- Board Member
- Business/Corporate Services
- Client/Customer Services
- Communications
- Construction, Works, Engineering
- Education, Curriculum and Teaching
- Environment, Conservation and NRM
- Facility/Grounds Management and Maintenance
- Finance Management
- Health – Medical and Nursing Management
- HR, Training and Organizational Development
- Information and Communications Technology
- Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
- Infrastructure Management – Transport, Utilities
- Legal Officers and Practitioners
- Librarians and Library Management
- Management
- Marketing
- OH&S, Risk Management
- Operations Management
- Planning, Policy, Strategy
- Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
- Projects, Programs and Advisors
- Property, Assets and Fleet Management
- Public Relations and Media
- Purchasing and Procurement
- Quality Management
- Science and Technical Research and Development
- Security and Law Enforcement
- Service Delivery
- Sport and Recreation
- Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
- Wellbeing, Community/Social Services
Job title Administration / Office Arts and Culture Board Member Business/Corporate Services Client/Customer Services Communications Construction, Works, Engineering Education, Curriculum and Teaching Environment, Conservation and NRM Facility/Grounds Management and Maintenance Finance Management Health – Medical and Nursing Management HR, Training and Organizational Development Information and Communications Technology Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives Infrastructure Management – Transport, Utilities Legal Officers and Practitioners Librarians and Library Management Management Marketing OH&S, Risk Management Operations Management Planning, Policy, Strategy Printing, Design, Publishing, Web Projects, Programs and Advisors Property, Assets and Fleet Management Public Relations and Media Purchasing and Procurement Quality Management Science and Technical Research and Development Security and Law Enforcement Service Delivery Sport and Recreation Travel, Accommodation, Tourism Wellbeing, Community/Social Services
Sign up
While Tory campaign tactics in Teesside leaned into personality over party, the opposition did the opposite. Labor could have run a red balloon with a face drawn on it and still lost. There is no point, to quote the poet laureate of pragmatism Taylor Swift, taking a knife to a gun fight. The personalities of metro mayors now precede party allegiance. Perhaps the ultimate logic of devolution is for all majors to be independent, making relationships with the party in Westminster more equitable, freeing them from the prison of party politics.
culture shock
The new cohort of metro mayors must work out how to align multimillion-pound funding streams with crumbling local authority structures. It’s like sticking to Grand Designs-style extension on to a building riddled with Raac – optimistic and fraught with risk. Culture has been the first sector to feel the impact. In the same week the new North East Combined Authority was granted powers for culture, Gateshead Council announced it had tendered rights to its stadium, meaning Gateshead FC can’t compete in play-offs for promotion to the Football League. Meanwhile, Sunderland council and university quietly announced the closure by 2026 of their National Glass Centre, despite local appeals to save it.
The optics of having culture budgets returned to mayors while cultural assets are closed by councils are wild. In principle, devolution should operate like an octopus, with tentacles that reach across multiple areas. In practice, competing finances and politics are a greater risk to effective delivery of the new trailblazer deals.
Leveling off
This month marks the second anniversary of the publication of the leveling-up white paper. At its launch in May 2022, Michael Gove warned that the project couldn’t just be about improving places with hanging baskets. Two years on, no hanging baskets have appeared – largely because councils don’t have the cash for baskets, let alone flowers, and have resorted to flogging off arts, leisure and sporting facilities.
The only way for any incoming government to mitigate the risk to devolution posed by crumbling councils is to commit to fiscal devolution and single-pot settlements, and to disband the word-salad Department for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities. The message from the local elections is clear: devolution is delivering; leveling up is not.
[See also: The wrench of standing down as an MP – my dream job since childhood]
