Areas With Most Devolution Have More Confidence In Their Mayors, Research Shows
3 min read
People living in areas with greater devolution are more confident in their mayors and the model of devolution as a whole, according to research shared with PoliticsHome.
A new report from the think tank Labour Together found that across the 14 English mayoral areas, which includes two future devolved mayoral areas, 30 per cent of those polled believe devolution has gone well so far.
This confidence in devolution rose to 34 per cent in the areas with the most advanced settlements: Greater Manchester, West Midlands and London.
In the 12 areas which already have mayors, around a third of people (33 per cent) thought that their mayor was performing well, while 27 per cent felt they were performing badly.
However, this confidence in mayors rose to 38 per cent in the areas with the most advanced devolution settlements, compared to 20 per cent in areas with the less advanced mayoral settlements.
JP Spencer, Director of Devolution Policy at Labour Together, said that when it comes to devolution, "this polling shows that the further they go, the more supportive people are".
"Areas which have seen the most powers transferred to them have residents who are most likely to recognise their mayor, and more likely to deem devolution a success.
"This Government must now press ahead with its plans and unlock the potential in every place," he told PoliticsHome.
The findings come ahead of the publication of the Labour Government's devolution white paper, expected before Christmas.
For the report "Mayoral Matters: Public Attitudes to Mayors and Devolution in 2024", Labour Together conducted 14 separate polls — 12 of the established devolved mayoral areas, and two future devolved mayoral areas (Hull & East Yorkshire and Greater Lincolnshire).
It found, "once areas see local leaders delivering, they’re more likely to become supportive of mayors and their capacity to deliver."
The report said that while mayors are already "playing important roles as local champions for their area", if ministers want existing and future mayors to "go further and help re-build public confidence, then they must be equipped with the powers and resources to deliver".
On average, half of people in the 14 mayoral areas can correctly identify their mayor, with 59 per cent of people able to do so in the areas with the most advanced devolution settlements such as Greater Manchester where Labour's Andy Burnham is mayor.
The polling also found that there is an "appetite for further mayoral influence over a range of policy areas like housing and transport, as well as health and education".
Those polled were most likely to want mayors to have at least “shared influence” over transport (69 per cent) and housing (67 per cent), while 38 and 34 per cent think mayors should take the lead in transport and housing respectively.
Labour Together also found that "those surveyed express interest in different tiers of government working together rather than any tier of government having total control".
The report said the Labour Government is "on the right track" when it comes to devolving power away from Westminster, but also urged ministers to be "bold when it comes to deepening devolution and supporting areas to take on more responsibility".
"This is a long-term project that will take time and effort to bear fruit," it said, "but the ends of increased growth, better public services and a more vibrant democracy are worth it."
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