Watch in full: King’s Speech sets out Labour's plans for government
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Today’s King Speech set out brand new powers that the Labour Government hopes to devolve to mayors within England, despite some local leaders’ controversial records.
A new English Devolution Bill will be introduced by Angela Rayner, moving powers out of Westminster and into the hands of elected local leaders.
Metro Mayors, introduced by the previous Conservative administration, will receive the vast bulk of the new powers, something advantageous for Labour now that all but one of England’s 12 directly elected mayors are Labour politicians.
Among the new powers set to be devolved include transport, skills and planning.
The King’s Speech sets out that while devolved areas now cover almost half of England’s population, there is an inconsistent, deal-based settlement that’s created a patchwork status quo and left too much power in the hands of Whitehall.
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Keir Starmer and Sadiq Khan together earlier this year (Image: Getty)
Labour criticises the current settlement, claiming that England remains one of the most centralised economies in the world, and suggesting that is the reason behind high levels of geographic inequality.
They pledge that the Bill will recognise the “vital role local leaders play in our national mission to drive economic growth” and deliver their manifesto commitment to transfer power out of Westminster.
However the success and popularity of the new policy could largely hinge on the quality of the local mayors in question.
While Tory Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen has proved wildly successful in wielding devolved powers to improve his local area, with a new airport, business zones and transport investment, other mayors including Sadiq Khan have proved much more controversial.
Passing new powers to mayors more interested in showboating and virtue signalling over governing could prove a stubborn roadblock to these hoped reforms.
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English mayors visit Downing Street for talks after Labour's victory (Image: Getty)
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However in a rare moment of cross-party unity, Mr Houchen this afternoon said he was “pleased” to see promise of new devolution included in the King’s Speech.
He said: “I was pleased to see the Government recommitting to devolution in England and proposing more powers, funding and autonomy for Mayors.
“From our Airport, to the job creation at Teesworks, to the investment in the industries of the future, this Government seems to understand how important they are to bringing growth to our economy.
“Of course we must hold the Government to account but we must also be grown up enough to work with them when their plans have the potential to improve things for people across our country.
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England's only remaining Tory mayor said he welcomed the promise of new powers (Image: Getty)
“The devil is in the detail, but the early signs are positive in relation to more money and more powers for our area and I look forward to working with the Government to bring jobs and investment to Teesside, Darlington, and Hartlepool.”
Mr Khan added: “I welcome the English Devolution Bill, which will help unlock the power and potential of cities like London”.
“It’s refreshing to have a government that recognises the vital role that regional mayors can play in boosting economic growth, building more homes and improving local communities."
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