Laura Sharman 15 May 2015

Combined authority to consult public on elected mayor

West Yorkshire Combined Authority has confirmed it will consult local people on introducing a directly elected mayor in exchange for extra powers from Whitehall.

Following yesterday’s announcement of the Cities Devolution Bill, the combined authority said it would consider a change in governance to help unlock new freedoms and resources.

It had previously rejected the idea of an elected mayor following local referendums in Bradford, Kirklees and Wakefield which showed strong public opposition against the model.

Chair of West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Cllr Peter Box said the case for devolution was now ‘unarguable’ following Osborne’s announcement.

‘We are confident that by securing a comprehensive devolution deal, we can do better than Whitehall, growing our economy and addressing the issues of productivity facing the UK economy,’ he said. ‘The chancellor has now made clear that greater levels of devolution in England are directly linked to a change in governance.’

Cllr Box added the combined authority would now consult with local people, businesses and stakeholders on the governance options available.