A Labour mayor has pleaded for “stability” in central government to finally push through a devolution deal worth more than £3bn to the North East.
Liz Truss’ resignation on Thursday, after a short and chaotic premiership in 10 Downing Street, and the impending selection of a new Prime Minister presents the latest potential stumbling block to long-running talks over the devolution package coming to fruition. If a deal can be struck in time, a mayor could be elected in May 2024 to govern a new combined authority covering Newcastle, Gateshead, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, and Sunderland – and possibly Durham too, after the county’s leadership announced last week that they wanted to join the alliance.
The proposals would bring a raft of decision-making powers and new funding to the region and have been close to being signed off since the closing weeks of Boris Johnson’s reign. With the latest upheaval in Westminster set to see responsibility for finally sealing the devolution deal pass to yet another set of ministers, local officials are now left waiting to see who takes charge next and what their priorities will be – with Mr Johnson, Rishi Sunak, and Penny Mordaunt touted as the contenders for PM.
