Latest news with #MayoralStrategicAuthorities
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Glasgow sidelined by Labour Spending Review, says Aitken
In a letter seen by The Herald, the SNP councillor warned that Ms Reeves's review is a 'retrograde step' for regional devolution in Scotland, and risks 'disempowering' Glasgow. READ MORE: Although the Treasury confirmed a £160 million Investment Zone in the Glasgow City Region and £20 million for Trailblazer Communities, Councillor Aitken said this fell far short of the funding deals being rolled out to five English Mayoral Strategic Authorities. The Spending Review included detailed commitments to expand integrated settlements for English city regions. Rahcel Reeves delivering the spending review (Image: House of Commons/PA Wire) Instead of applying for individual grants through competitive bidding processes, these areas receive a single, flexible pot of long-term funding, allowing Mayors greater autonomy in making their own investment decisions. This integrated funding grants local control over budgets for areas such as housing, skills, and transport. Following the Spending Review, these settlements are being expanded to include London, the North East, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, and Liverpool City Region. These will join existing arrangements in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands, meaning nearly 40% of England's population will now have local control over this unified funding for growth and public services. Glasgow will instead be forced to enter what one council source described as a 'beauty contest' and need to bid for cash — similar to the process under the last Tory government, which Labour criticised in opposition. Councillor Aitken told Mr Murray: 'It is clear from the Spending Review that the UK Government recognises the best way to support economic growth of English City Regions is through an integrated settlement, allowing places the ability to make their own investment decisions. 'And yet Glasgow City Region, which is larger in population, size of economy, opportunity and need than most of the Mayoral Combined Authorities, is reduced to simply administering programmes on behalf of UK Government as if it were a small local authority.' She added: 'The empowerment of our comparator city regions in England and the disempowerment of Glasgow City Region threatens all of the progress we have made. We have a shared priority of growing Scotland's economy and ensuring our people reap the benefits of that. 'We cannot grow Scotland's economy without growing Glasgow's economy — and yet yesterday's budget will not contribute to that growth and will cause us to fall behind our English counterparts.' Council insiders told The Herald the lack of progress had come as a surprise, particularly given the constructive tone of recent discussions with the UK Government. Cllr Aitken and Kevin Rush talking to Newsquest's Stewart Paterson in February (Image: Gordon Terris) In February, Councillor Aitken and Glasgow's head of regional economic growth, Kevin Rush, told The Herald the city was 'ready to go' on a bespoke devolution deal. The model would mirror Greater Manchester or the West Midlands — with a 'single pot' of funding and the ability to make investment decisions locally. They said the structures were already in place and that Glasgow was managing numerous major UK Government-backed programmes, including the City Deal, Innovation Accelerator, Investment Zone, Shared Prosperity Fund, 5G Region, and Clyde Mission. The Treasury did reaffirm its commitment to the Glasgow Investment Zone — which it says could unlock £1.7 billion in private investment and create up to 18,000 jobs — and praised the region's potential in advanced manufacturing. READ MORE: But Councillor Aitken said that without control over wider investment decisions, Glasgow's economic future would remain constrained by short-term funding rounds and top-down allocations. She told The Herald: 'If anyone thought locking Glasgow and other Scottish cities out of investment talks last year was a simple oversight, this Spending Review risks creating the impression that the UK Government has now decided it is prepared to let our city regions be left behind. 'That is incredibly frustrating, at a time when we have been working closely with the Secretary of State, Deputy First Minister and officials from governments in Edinburgh and London to develop a positive, deliverable proposition for a devolution deal that would allow us to build on our strong record for innovation, unlock investment opportunities and grow the Scottish economy. 'Despite all of that, it appears the voice of Scotland's cities has not been heard around the Cabinet table." 'We are not asking for anything difficult," she added, "just a level playing field." In her Spending Review, Ms Reeves confirmed that the Scottish Government is set to receive an average of £50.9 billion per year between 2026–27 and 2028–29, representing its largest settlement in real terms since devolution. A UK Government spokesperson said: "Glasgow City Region is at the heart of our Plan for Growth in Scotland. "We are delivering more than £663m funding for the region including an Investment Zone focussed on developing advanced manufacturing and a strategic partnership with the National Wealth Fund. "Further plans will be set out, including the city's important role in the Industrial Strategy. "Devolution within Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Government but, building on the success of city and growth deals, we will work with them to help to ensure places like Glasgow City Region have the tools they need to deliver change and unlock the same levels of growth as their English counterparts like Greater Manchester."
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Latest on whether Swindon joins other councils in the future
The apparent lack of enthusiasm of councils in Oxfordshire for Swindon to join them in a Mayoral Strategic Authority has not dented the confidence of Swindon Borough Council leader Jim Robbins, who thinks an agreement with councils along the M4 corridor is the best choice for the town. The government has asked top-tier councils of all but the largest size to discuss making agreements to form Mayoral Strategic Authorities which will not supersede existing top-tier councils like Swindon but will have extra powers with regards to strategic transport and infrastructure and economic development. Swindon council leaders are keen on a deal with Oxfordshire and Berkshire councils. Reflecting a need for development along the M4 corridor. Flash Sale Alert!🌟Unlock unlimited local news subscribe today and save 40% off an annual subscription. Enjoy access to our ad-free mobile and tablet app, as well as the digital edition of the paper. Don't miss out – subscribe now!👉 — Swindon Advertiser (@swindonadver) March 20, 2025 But Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet agreed this week that: 'As the constituent member of any future Mayoral County Combined Authority, the cabinet's preferred geography for a Mayoral Strategic Authority is Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire." READ MORE: South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils have also said they'd prefer a strategic authority which includes Oxfordshire and Berkshire but not Swindon. But Councillor Robbins says he still thinks that a M4 corridor deal is best for Swindon, and is confident that one can be achieved, not least because under the terms of the devolution deal, Oxfordshire councils will be re-organised into one unitary authority - similar to Swindon and Wiltshire councils. He said: 'Swindon Borough Council have been fully engaged with devolution conversations with potential partners, as well as holding a number of conversations at the highest levels of Government, including at our meeting in Downing Street last week. 'We attended the third of these meetings with our friends from across the Thames Valley this week, a set of meetings that Swindon Borough Council initiated ahead of the government's white paper being published. The meeting was really positive and we are grateful to Reading Borough Council and the University of Reading for hosting. READ MORE: 'We are very confident that we will be able to make the case to ministers that Swindon stands ready and willing to play its full part in the government's desire to boost growth in a new Mayoral Combined Authority and will make our submission when required to by government. 'The comments from some of the Oxfordshire District Councils are designed to talk to their particular areas, their desire to benefit from local government reorganisation and benefitting their political parties. In Swindon, we will remain relentlessly focused on the wider benefits of devolution and increased powers and funding that Swindon can benefit from.' However, the deputy leader of Swindon Conservatives, Councillor Dale Heenan is critical, saying Cllr Robbins is guilty of over-confidence: 'Two secret summits have been held with councils to our East about a joint devolution deal but no details have been released about what the leadership of Swindon Borough Council has discussed or asked for. "While Swindon Borough Council held an event in the House of Lords and saying how great it was, those same councils across Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire agreed to work together, without Swindon. They have now written to the government saying so. Words on a page which everyone can read. It looks like key people are in denial. "Swindon councillors urgently need to get together, agree how a devolution deal with government could benefit our town and villages, and then talk to all our neighbouring councils to find the best way to make it happen. Our neighbours are making decisions, time is running out." Cllr Robbins said the meetings were not secret and were followed by press releases and added: 'I'm always happy to respond to Cllr Heenan's questions on devolution or any other topic either in person or via email, but his running to the papers catastrophising achieves little except to make him look ill-informed.'
