A radical shift of power from London to the regions would protect them against any negative impact of Brexit, a gathering of mayors from across England has agreed.
Tim Bowles, the metro mayor for the West of England, including Bath and North East Somerset, met other regional leaders at the summit in Bristol on Tuesday.
The gathering also included the elected leaders of England’s 10 largest cities – an unprecedented move that enabled the 18 civic leaders present to jointly call for the government to devolve much more spending and associated powers away from the capital.
Mayor Bowles, pictured, who leads the West of England Combined Authority, which brings together Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire councils, said the government had promised to introduce a new funding stream to replace EU money worth at least £2.4bn a year to the UK once Brexit takes effect.
The metro mayors said devolving this to the regions would ensure it is spent on priorities defined by local areas. They also pushed the government to remove unnecessary layers of bureaucracy, moving from decentralisation to full devolution to cut down on red tape.
Mayor Bowles said: “Metro mayors are directly-elected by the regions they serve; we know our regions best and need additional funding, flexibility and tools to deliver for our communities. Brexit provides a real opportunity to take back control and re-think the way money flows from Whitehall to combined authorities. The benefits of devolution are being felt in the West of England and now is the time for government to move away from decentralisation in order to truly empower communities.”
Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester combined authority, added: “The country urgently needs to rebalance and we need a radical shift of power out of Westminster and the London-centric system we’ve got.
“Devolution is the answer to Brexit. It is crucial that government puts confidence in our regional economy so we are ready for whatever changes come from leaving the EU.
“Around the world, cities and city regions are the engine room of the modern economy. Our cities are financially limited by government and as a result we are currently punching below our wait.
“The government’s best policy now would be to get on and accelerate the power of devolution to cities outside of London so that this country can make a success of Brexit.”
