Doubts emerge over South Yorkshire devo deal

A deal to shift powers from Whitehall to South Yorkshire and create a new elected mayor for the area was thrown into doubt tonight after Sheffield City Council leader Julie Dore demanded changes in return for her support.
Coun Julie Dore (right) signed the devolution deal alongside Chancellor George Osborne in OctoberCoun Julie Dore (right) signed the devolution deal alongside Chancellor George Osborne in October
Coun Julie Dore (right) signed the devolution deal alongside Chancellor George Osborne in October

Coun Dore called for the new mayor’s power of veto to be watered down and said questions over which parts of the Sheffield City Region will elect the mayor remained unresolved.

The devolution deal between the Sheffield City Region - an area taking in South Yorkshire and neighbouring districts in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire - was struck in October and a signing ceremony was held with Chancellor George Osborne

But Coun Dore insisted the agreement was only a “proposal”.

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“As it stands, Sheffield is not in a position to support these proposals without the changes we have set out,” she said.

Coun Dore claimed that under the current agreement, the mayor alone would be able to veto proposals even if they were backed by the rest of the area’s council leaders sitting on the combined authority.

Coun Dore wants a system mirroring that proposed for Manchester where the mayor’s proposals can be blocked by a two-thirds majority of the authority.

Since the agreement was struck it has also emerged that only voters in South Yorkshire will take part in the mayoral election and Coun Dore wants the Government to be clearer about changes to the law that would allow neighbouring districts to play a full part.

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Coun Dore said: “. We believe that the system that is currently being proposed is confusing and inequitable. When we negotiated, we made it clear that if these issues were not resolved we would not agree to this.

“Having a mayor that half of the city region votes, for but half doesn’t, is not a good model. This issue needs resolving quickly. We have also seen the problems with the previous Police and Crime Commissioner, where someone is elected and subsequently lose the confidence of everyone in the region, but there is no mechanism to remove them. That is why we are asking for this veto to be removed through adopting a Manchester model.

“Today, we call on the Government to make the changes we are asking for. And then we will throw the full weight of this authority behind supporting a deal that can deliver real and positive change for people in Sheffield.”