Assembly would help hold Leeds City Region mayor to account

George Osborne has offered devolution "deals" to areas that adopt elected mayors

The assembly would be drawn from councillors in the member authorities if the proposed Leeds City Region devolution deal goes ahead.

A report to be discussed by councillors this week says the assembly would “help in the development of the Mayor’s strategies”.

It is understood the proposal for an assembly has emerged out of discussions aimed at addressing political objections to the Leeds City Region deal.

Councils in West, North and East Yorkshire have been unable to agree how to respond to Chancellor George Osborne’s offer of more powers to be wielded at a local level by elected mayors.

West Yorkshire councils have been pushing for a Leeds City Region devolution deal covering their own authorities and some of their neighbours.

But others, including North Yorkshire County Council and East Riding Council, have backed the idea of a Greater Yorkshire agreement covering the whole of West, North and East Yorkshire.

West Yorkshire Conservative MPs have lined up behind the Greater Yorkshire idea in a move thought in part driven by concerns that Labour would dominate a Leeds City Region arrangement.

Senior Labour and Conservative council figures in West Yorkshire recently met in a sign of new efforts to end the deadlock.

Creating an assembly is seen as a way of ensuring that all parties have a voice in the process and the mayor is properly held to account if they have the same political allegiance as the area’s council leader.

The report sets details of the relationship between the mayor and their ‘cabinet’ of council leaders which would wield powers in areas such as transport, skills and housing.

Proposals put forward by the mayor, including their spending plans, could be rejected by a two-thirds majority of the cabinet.

The report says it is likely the mayor would initially cover West Yorkshire with scope for other authorities to join over time.

Harrogate has indicated an interested in being part of a Leeds City Region deal

The report will be considered by West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s overview and scrutiny committee on Wednesday.