North East leaders will fight for region ‘with or without devolution’
It's expected the government will now withdraw the devolution deal for the North East, after leaders voted AGAINST moving forward with plans.
We're told North East leaders will continue to fight for the region despite claims it's a NO DEAL from the government on devolution.
The North East Combined Authority hit the government’s deadline day yesterday, but a devolution deal is in double following a split vote.
Newcastle, Northumberland and North Tyneside wanted to move forward and consult on the scheme but Sunderland, Durham, South Tyneside, Gateshead voted against it.
It raises a big question mark over if there will actually be an elected mayor next year, £30million a year that was promised for the new devolved authority to spend and powers over things like transport and growth.
Cllr Martin Gannon, Gateshead Council Leader, said:
“We’re just not that stupid in the North East of England, we’ll fight for a better deal.
“They’ve said do this by Tuesday or we will withdraw it, so I’m assuming that since they’ve given an ultimatum it will be withdrawn and there won’t be an elected mayor.
“The North East Combined Authority and the local authorities in the region will continue to exist. With our reduced budgets and with the cuts that we’ve had we will work and fight for business development within the North East. We’ll also continue to talk to government.”
Cllr Joyce McCarty, Deputy Leader of Newcastle City Council, said:
“I don’t think I was anticipating this decision so I don’t think we’ve done any work at all as a council to look at what the consequences of that decision might be. Clearly we need to do quite a bit of research to find out how best we can secure what we want for the city.
“The government can change their minds, we can change our minds, decisions can be made differently, in politics that happens all the time. We will in Newcastle be making sure that we get the best possible outcome.”