‘MPs must have a clear key role in ‘mayorland’

The Burnham devolution roadmap is ultimately the same the Starmer one: create unitary authorities to replace the inefficient mishmash of district and county councils, encourage groups of three or so of them to form combined or strategic authorities, and hope that many then choose to add a metro mayor on top.

I support the direction of travel, particularly the creation of unitary authorities capable of exercising more power, managing more resources, delivering all local council services, and as such able to be more strategic in key areas that have long been the domain of Whitehall such as housing and transport.

However, the ultimate destination – a quiltwork of metro mayors – should give MPs pause of thought, because it will amplify the existing problem of our being held to account for everything in our area, despite having no executive power or budget to deploy.

Contrast this with some local councillors who sometimes have a discretionary budget to distribute to local good causes, and can formally direct resources, for example for road repair. The emasculation of MPs runs deeper though, as public sector organisations are rarely, if ever, under any statutory obligation to consult or involve an MP. They do involve us, through respect for an MP’s status and knowledge that we have the ear of ministers and can call them out in the House. When I discussed this topic with Congressman Paul D. Tonko while shadowing him in New York State recently, he told me of a formal process that Members of Congress use to bid for substantial federal funding for local projects.

READ MORE: Andy Burnham: ‘The rewiring of Britain has begun’

MPs are already in the invidious position that, despite not having much executive power – locally or nationally – we are the party or government’s spokespeople, we rebut criticism, absorb anger, and in our surgeries, try to use this limited power of influence (a letter here, or a word in a minister’s ear there) to ameliorate the sadly immense failures of the state that our constituents are rightly frustrated about. All the while, the pressures of the electoral cycle and modern political climate incentivise MPs to downplay our lack of genuine agency in an effort to be effective local champions.

Become a friend of LabourList and join our community. Our friends support our vital non-factional work and get access to exclusive content and events. 

It’s unsurprising then that our constituents hold us to account as the ‘senior’ politicians in our patch. It’s into this decrepit field of mixed messages and ill-defined roles, that these new truly substantial and powerful unitary authorities and metro mayors will be birthed.

The government has acknowledged that there is a need for MPs to have a role, writing in their statement on devolution last week that they will “ensure that there is a clear role for Members of Parliament in local accountability, working with mayors and local councillors.”

It’s vital that colleagues feed in their ideas now and I’m grateful that the government is listening.  For me, MPs must not be an afterthought tasked merely with scrutiny as this risks being a backward-looking, box ticking role. Where possible we should be co-creators of strategy and help shape how new powers are exercised in the communities we represent in Parliament, as should local councillors.

My hunch is that ‘the system’ wants a unit of political power that it can more easily engage with going forward. You can see why Number 10 would prefer to deal with 40 or so metro mayors, not the 650 MPs or thousands of councillors.

We mustn’t go from the over-concentration of executive power in Whitehall, to the over-concentration of power in ‘mini-Whitehalls’ dotted around the county in the form of metro mayors, with MPs looking on as bystanders while these new bodies and individuals wield real power, all the while expecting MPs to be the state’s safety valve. I’ve repeatedly requested to the parliamentary authorities to lead a debate about ‘the role of an MP’ and will add this latest issue to a long list of tweaks that are needed. I’m glad that Prime Minister Burnham is speaking more and more about the need for wider reform of our political system. He’s not wrongand a conversation with MPs will help him achieve this.

Subscribe here to our daily newsletter roundup of Labour news, analysis and comment– and follow us on TikTok, Bluesky, WhatsApp, X and Facebook. You can also write to our editor to share your thoughts on our stories and share your own. The best letters are published every Sunday.

• • SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour– contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected].
  • SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning.
  • BECOME A FRIEND: If you enjoyed this, why not consider becoming a Friend of LabourList? Help sustain our journalism, and of course Friends do get benefits…
  • PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or projects, email [email protected].
  • ADVERTISE: If your organisation would like to advertise or run sponsored pieces on LabourList‘s daily newsletter or website, contact our exclusive ad partners Total Politics at [email protected].