Labour government set to give West of England Mayor more powers
Dan Norris has taken part in a meeting between regional Mayors and the Prime Minister in Downing Street
The Mayor of the West of England is set to be given more powers over planning and transport as part of a reset of the relationship between the regions and Westminster.
Dan Norris, who is also now Labour MP for North East Somerset and Hanham, met with Sir Keir Starmer in Downing Street yesterday (9th July) in his role as West of England Mayor.
In a statement released by the government afterwards, the Department for Levelling Up said they and mayors across the UK will work "hand in hand" for the benefit of local residents.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “Working constructively with local government is at the heart of my mission driven government – because those with skin in the game are the ones who know their communities best.
“That’s why I made it a priority to meet with England’s metro mayors, including Dan Norris, this morning, who will play a vital role in delivering growth across the country.
“I look forward to continuing this renewed relationship, putting local people’s views first, and seeing the West of England reach its full potential.”
Prior to the General Election, the then Conservative government regularly received criticism from local authorities regarding a perceived lack of communication over decision making.
In an effort to combat this, the government says it will establish a Council of Nations and Regions, bringing together the Prime Minister, the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales, the First and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, and the Mayors of Combined Authorities including Dan Norris.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: “The West of England has led the way in aerospace technology and there are fantastic opportunities there for growth in the creative and digital industries, which is why we want to further unleash the region’s huge potential.
“We want to relight the fire of our regions to drive growth in every part of this country, and to do this properly we need people who know their areas best to have their say.
“That’s why it’s so important we work hand-in-hand with our Mayors to harness the potential of our towns and cities, tackle regional inequalities and to make a difference to people’s lives.
“But I want to take devolution even further and expand our offer to other areas – and I invite local leaders from parts of England without a mayor to come forward and speak to us about how we can work with you to transform your regions.”
Mr Norris himself called the news "positive".
He said: ""I have been delivering on skills, the environment and transport for the last four years, including Birthday Buses to get more residents to use the bus, and look forward to working with a Labour government with the same priorities.”