Leicestershire and Rutland "missing out" as East Midlands set to elect first ever mayor
The new East Midlands Combined County Authority will have £38m to spend on Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, every year
Last updated 19th Apr 2024
In less than two weeks time voters will head to the polls to choose their new mayor for the East Midlands, but not in Leicester, Leicestershire or Rutland.
The first-ever mayor for the region is a requirement of the newly-created East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) which, despite the name, only covers Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
The EMCCA has been set up as a result of the region getting a devolution deal worth £1.14bn, to be used in instalments of £38m every year for the next thirty years.
The money can be spent on things like transport and education - but only in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) did not sign up to the EMCCA and will instead get a 'level 2' devolution deal - and "next to no money at all".
Politics professor at Leicester De Montfort University, Alistair Jones, said it's after local authorities "couldn't agree" on having an elected mayor: "One of the reasons why is that the city of Leicester already has a mayor, and the county leader argued having a mayor above them didn't work..."
"What we see is party-political; more regional arguments over how to take things forward. The knock-on effect is LLR are missing out.
"Instead, they're getting what is called a level two deal. This is basically giving a limited strategic role with next-to no money at all compared to the budget of the EMCCA."
He added: "The idea that we can't have an elected mayor for LLR because we have one for the city, is flawed.
"The city of Bristol has an elected mayor and another elected mayor as part of a combined authority. Throw in a ceremonial mayor for Bristol as well, they've got three.
"We in Leicester could have had the same, but the County Council, the City Council and Rutland Unitary Authority couldn't agree on it."