Council leaders across Berkshire have said they don’t want a regional mayor as part of potential devolution plans.
Devolution is the process of transferring powers from central government to secondary authorities.
In the UK context, this has produced the Scottish Parliament, Welsh and Northern Irish Assemblies, as well as 12 Metro mayors covering regions including London, Greater Manchester and the west of England.
But there have long been calls for greater devolution to take place, especially in England, which does not have its own parliament like other nations.
Now, the Labour government has pledged to expand current devolution arrangements, giving more power to local authorities.
It announced the English Devolution Bill at the King’s speech, a formal address given by the monarch at the State opening of Parliament, which sets out the government’s plans and policies.
Since then, the government has written to local authorities in Berkshire to ask for their thoughts on what devolution could look like. This was discussed at a recent Berkshire Prosperity Board meeting, comprising leaders of all six unitary authorities in the region – Wokingham, Bracknell, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, and Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.
A council officer said the board had decided to ‘express interest’ in having devolution in Berkshire, but that they didn’t want this in the form of a mayor.
The council officer said: “We have ideal circumstances right now for Berkshire, in that we’ve got this formal prosperity board that’s already been set up.
“We’ve also got six themes which are broadly aligned with central government.”
Set up in January this year, the board works together on key areas across the region including health and inequalities, skills and education, affordable housing, sector development, strategic infrastructure and net zero.
Reading Borough Council leader Liz Terry expressed concern that she had heard ‘soundings’ that ‘mayors is what is preferred’ by the government.
But the councillor added that didn’t mean the board ‘should change our position in any way’.
Responding, Wokingham Borough Council leader Stephen Conway said: “There’s a very strong view in all councils that we do not want a mayoral route,
“I think we just have to wait and see how the government responds.”
As well as expressing interest in gaining more powers, the board will emphasise Berkshire’s contribution to the national economy.
Slough Borough Council leader Dexter Smith suggested that ‘.. having a strong economic programme or strategy’ will ‘serve’ the board in its application.
Council leaders voted to write to the government indicating their interest, which remains an early stage of the process.
