The quietly radical transformation of English governance has proceeded largely beneath the radar of national politics. Since 2017, a growing number of English city-regions have acquired directly elected mayors with significant powers over transport, planning, skills, and economic development.
The Manchester Model
Andy Burnham has become the template for what an ambitious English metro mayor can achieve. His integrated transport authority, Bee Network, represents the most significant renationalisation of bus services in England since deregulation in 1986. Whether it succeeds as a model depends on funding sustainability and the willingness of future governments to maintain the settlement.
Powers on Paper vs Powers in Practice
The gap between the powers mayors nominally hold and the powers they can effectively exercise is significant. Transport investment requires Treasury approval. Planning decisions can be called in by national ministers. The fiscal base — primarily business rates and central government grants — limits genuine autonomy.
The Accountability Question
Directly elected mayors are more accountable to voters than council leaders or combined authority chairs. Whether the mayoral model improves the quality of local governance is a separate question that evidence is only beginning to answer.
What's Coming Next
A second wave of devolution deals is extending the model to areas beyond the great city-regions. Whether the powers transferred are substantive or symbolic will determine whether English devolution becomes a genuine shift in where decisions are made.
