Ministers urge voters to back mayors as city ‘champions of growth’

With less than a week to go before voters in Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford and Wakefield head to the polls for referendums over how their cities are run, the Minister for Cities, Greg Clark, has told the Yorkshire Post that the region will not be allowed the control over transport budgets and other key devolved powers it covets until Boris Johnson-style elected mayors are put in place to give local councils the “strong leadership” they require.

His warning comes amidst a concerted effort from Conservative central office to see as many of the 10 cities holding referendums on directly-elected mayors vote in favour as possible.

The party issued a statement to regional newspapers in all target cities signed jointly by the Prime Minister and the Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomburg, urging voters to seize the “once-in-a-generation chance” to change the way their cities are run.

“This is your chance to have a powerful, passionate champion batting for your city,” the two leaders said. “You’d have one person in City Hall who is answerable to you for getting things done. That’s the way it should be – not some faceless bureaucracy led by various people insulated from the public.”

With concern mounting at Downing Street that at best only three or four of the 10 cities – which also include Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Bristol and Coventry – will vote in favour of mayors, Mr Clark issued his starkest warning yet that cities which fail to do so will miss out on an historic opportunity to win new powers.

Leeds and Sheffield are both close to finalising so-called “City Deal” devolution packages with Whitehall, with council leaders confident announcements are only weeks away.

Liverpool’s deal was announced back in February, however, as soon as the council announced it would be introducing an elected mayor without a referendum.

Mr Clark said the city has “stolen a march”, adding: “Liverpool is a good example of the inevitability that once you have a mayor, you have more power.

“It’s exactly the same in London. There have been two further waves of devolved powers to the Mayor of London since it was created and he wants a third round..

“That’s what happens when you have a mayor – you get more power.”

Asked explicitly whether there were powers the Government would be happy to give to an elected mayor in Yorkshire, but not to a traditional council, Mr Clark said: “Oh yes. We’ve always been clear that you need to have strong governance, strong leadership.

“Currently the cities don’t have in the present model the degree of mandate and decisive leadership that is needed.

“In Leeds until quite recently you had a council leader that changed every six months – how can you possibly put someone in charge of a major multi-million pound transport budget when you don’t know who the person is from one month to another?

“That’s why a mayor has a four-year programme – that’s someone you can do business with.”

Last month, the Prime Minister announced plans for a regular “Cabinet of Mayors” to be held at Downing Street for those large cities which choose to have them. Liverpool will be joined by Leicester, Salford and any other cities which vote Yes next week.

Mr Clark made it clear that he believes there is now no turning back.

“The mould is broken now – the system will never be the same again,” he said.

“At the beginning of last year it was only the Mayor of London as the mayor of a big city in the country.

“By the end of this year we will be a nation of mayors of our big cities, and I expect them to prosper and to advance as a result of that.

“And so for a city like Leeds, Sheffield, Wakefield or Bradford, not to be part of the elite, not to be at the top table, I think would be a great disappointment.

“I want Yorkshire cities to be there and not to fall behind the other cities of the country.”