Hull and East Yorkshire mayoral election explained

The new Mayor role is part of the devolution deal signed off by the Government in September 2024.

Why is there an election in Hull and East Yorkshire?

This means that Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council will receive an extra layer of governance in the form of the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority.

This does not mean that the two councils are combining or being replaced by the combined authority.

Such a model already exists across the rest of Yorkshire - with mayors in South, West and York and North Yorkshire.

Combined authorities tend to work on more ‘big picture’ matters such as regional transport strategy while the councils will continue to run their day-to-day services including bin collections and filling pot holes.

The new mayor will be the head of the combined authority and will act as the face of the region on the national stage.

The new mayor as Hull and East Yorkshire will essentially be the new figurehead of the region.

What will the mayor do?

The combined authority will mean that more of the decisions that matter to people in Hull and East Yorkshire will be made in Hull and East Yorkshire rather than in Westminster.

The mayor will receive powers on the likes of transport, housing, and skills, which have until now largely been made by central Government.

The mayor will also have the ability to essentially increase residents’ council tax by adding a mayoral precept to the council tax bill which would be used to help fund projects across the region though not all mayors choose to introduce a precept.

The mayor will have to work collaboratively with the leaders of both Hull City Council and East Riding Council.

Most decisions made by the mayor will need to have the support of the council leaders themselves.