Historic Devolution Deal Agreed For Merseyside

An historic deal has been signed deciding the way the way that Merseyside is set to be run.. .

The devolution deal is part of the Northern Powerhouse agreemenet. All five local councils have agreed to join to become the Liverpool City Region

This follows recent deals signed with local leaders in Greater Manchester; Sheffield City Region, the North East and Tees Valley. A deal is also set to be signed today with the West Midlands - the first region outside of the Northern Powerhouse to do so.

Communities Minister Greg Clark and Commercial Secretary to the Treasury Jim O’Neill sign the agreement alongside local leaders today in Liverpool.

Voters will now choose a directly elected Mayor in 2017, who will take on a raft of new powers as part of plans to take power out of Whitehall and hand it back to local people.

This includes power over local transport budgets and franchised bus services and increased responsibility over employment support and skills provision.

This deal also includes control over investment worth £30 million a year for the next 30 years. A total of £900m will help unlock the huge economic potential of the iconic River Mersey and the new Superport as well as maximising the opportunities from HS2.

The deal also includes support for Liverpool’s strengths in attracting major international events, with backing for the city’s International Festival for Business as well as its cultural attractions, with plans to establish a sustainable business model for National Museums Liverpool.

Chancellor George Osborne said:

“Today is a historic day for the Liverpool City Region and a historic day for the Northern Powerhouse. This revolutionary deal cements the area’s position as a gateway to the north, from North Wales all the way to Newcastle, and gives local people control over their own affairs for the first time.”

“In becoming the fifth northern city region to take on these new powers, the momentum of the Northern Powerhouse is now simply unstoppable and I want to thank the Council leaders for working together to come to an agreement which will give Liverpool City Region a powerful new voice in national life.”

Communities Minister Greg Clark said:

"This One Nation government is determined to ensure power is devolved from Whitehall to local people, to put an end to the old north-south divide and rebalance our economy.

“This Liverpool City Region deal demonstrates how local leaders are embracing this opportunity to have a direct hand in shaping the future of their area, whether in skills, transport or housing.

“It’s vital that the people of the Liverpool city region – and the Northern Powerhouse as a whole – have the best possible representation on the national and international stage.”

Listen to Wirral Council leader Phil Davies speak to our reporter Adam Phillips below

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