Metro Mayors for UK's largest cities
Author: Claire MaughamDate: 26/10/2009
Publication: Liberal Democrat Voice
At party conference last month, I was struck by just how many of the UK's biggest cities are run by the Lib Dems. You now control virtually every big city outside London - that means that, taken together, 25 million people now live in Lib Dem cities. The list is impressive, including Newcastle, Liverpool, Bristol, Sheffield, Hull, Cambridge and York. Why doesn't Nick Clegg do more to talk about Lib Dem strength at city level?
Localism runs through the Lib Dems' veins. Vince Cable's Bournemouth speech talked about more responsibilities for councils, including more tax-raising powers such as business rates. And at the LGA's annual conference in July he said they should have greater freedom to borrow against their assets, giving them the opportunity to do much more locally through public investment.
But of course, a party which is naturally very localist will look, think and act differently in different parts of the country - and it doesn't necessarily mean that the Lib Dems are all agreed on how to devolve financial and political powers to cities.
Our Cities Manifesto is calling for elected ‘Metro Mayors' in Britain's biggest city regions, with real tax and spend powers. We think the first wave of Metro Mayors should be in Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Leeds city-region and Greater Birmingham. They'd energise millions of voters, be highly visible and accountable, and have a direct personal mandate to make tough decisions on local tax and spending. They'd play to the strength of many Lib Dems in galvanising local support and holding onto their local gains.
Several prominent Lib Dem city leaders hate the idea - such as John Shipley, Leader of Newcastle, who doesn't like the idea of power being concentrated in the hands of one person and would rather have a city-regional executive. He's not alone - several council leaders of all political colours are against the idea, which would certainly disrupt the status quo.
But why don't Lib Dems go for the idea of elected mayors? They'd be a great platform for the strengths of the party, and could put Lib Dem politicians into positions of real power. Lib Dem Mayors would also have a high-profile platform from which to galvanise local support and hold onto their cities if Labour manages an electoral recovery in the next few years. Cable and Clegg should take up the baton.
This blog first appeared on Liberal Democrat Voice.
