More devolution for parts of the South West, including an elected mayor of Wessex, has been promised by the Prime Minister.<\/p>\n
Andy Burnham told the House of Commons during Prime Minister\u2019s Questions yesterday that he wished to move quickly on the issue and would hold talks with Dorset, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP), Wiltshire and Somerset councils.<\/p>\n
Responding to a question from West Dorset MP Edward Morello about the area “being left behind” over funding, by not having a directly elected mayor, Burnham said: \u201cYes, I’m always happy to create more mayors.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet’s move quickly to get a fully devolved Wessex and South West of England,\u201d<\/p>\n
Burnham, who was the elected mayor of Greater Manchester before returning to the Parliament earlier this year, has promised to devolve more powers to the regions.<\/p>\n
But while the West of England has had an elected \u2018metro mayor\u2019 since 2017 \u2013 and has been given more power and funding since Burnham arrived in Downing Street \u2013 other parts of the South West have lagged behind.<\/p>\n
A report from the Wessex Partnership \u2013 representing the four leaders of the councils \u2013 concluded that having an elected mayor could trigger \u00a3460m of direct funding and unlock \u00a316bn of financial benefit for the region.<\/p>\n
In a joint statement yesterday, the leaders of the four councils hailed the Prime Minister\u2019s remarks as a “landmark moment”, adding: \u201cThis is about delivering better outcomes for our residents and businesses.<\/p>\n
“Securing a mayoral strategic authority will ensure that Wessex is no longer left behind but is finally on a level playing field for the funding, powers and opportunities available to other parts of the country.<\/p>\n
“There is still work to do, but we start from a position of strength. Our message to government is – we’re ready, we’re excited, and we’re looking forward to getting on with the job.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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