Manchester heads council revolution
Author: Financial Times - Jul 23, 2009
Alistair Darling, chancellor, named Manchester and Leeds in the Budget as “pilot” city regions that could negotiate for devolved powers from the government. This week John Denham, communities secretary, heralded “the biggest single transfer of power to local government in a generation” as he outlined some of the plans.
Lord Smith, leader of Wigan council, who is leading the talks for Manchester, said progress suddenly speeded up at a meeting with Mr Denham, Liam Byrne, chief secretary to the Treasury, and other ministers on Monday.
“The government believes that city regions will help the economy. It also knows that if it does not deliver [in] Manchester, it will not deliver anywhere,” he told the Financial Times.
Lord Smith, a Labour peer who chairs the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (Agma), the joint decision-making body for the 10 boroughs, said the city had a clear list of 10 demands that were at last being heard.
It could gain control of skills and training budgets for the city’s 16- to 19-year-olds as early as October following the break-up of the national Learning and Skills Council. Other local authorities will receive the funding in 2010. The city is also pushing for powers over pre-school education, housing and research spending.
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