Third metro mayor for Yorkshire will 'amplify' region's voice, says Michael Gove

A third metro mayor for Yorkshire will "amplify" the region's voice nationally and bring healthy internal competition for private and public sector investment, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has said.

Mr Gove told the Northern Research Group conference that he hopes a new mayor will be agreed for York and North Yorkshire as part of a planned devolution agreement for the region.

The senior Tory politician also told the conference in Doncaster that the existing Labour mayors of West and South Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin and Oliver Coppard, should look to follow in the lead of Conservative Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen in establishing mayoral development corporations to boost investment in their regions.

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Mr Gove, who was a late substitute for Boris Johnson at the conference after the Prime Minister cancelled in favour of a trip to Ukraine, said: "Devolution is now gathering pace in Yorkshire. The fact that we now have metro mayors in South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire and I hope soon in York and North Yorkshire will mean that Yorkshire's voice is amplified.

Michael Gove hopes to see the creation of a new metro mayor for York and North Yorkshire.Michael Gove hopes to see the creation of a new metro mayor for York and North Yorkshire.
Michael Gove hopes to see the creation of a new metro mayor for York and North Yorkshire.

"I think the sort of rivalries, emulation or friendly competition for the right economic policies between those three mayoral combined authorities in order to try to get both the investment from government but also the investment from private sector people Yorkshire deserves."

Mr Gove also praised the Conservative mayor of Tees Valley Ben Houchen for establishing the first Mayoral Development Corporation outside of London in 2017. Greater Manchester's Labour mayor Andy Burnham went onto establish a similar corporation for Stockport in 2019.

The corporations are statutory bodies created to bring forward regeneration projects and have powers to acquire, develop, hold, and dispose of land and property.

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When asked about how other mayors could be encouraged to establish such organisations, Mr Gove said: "One of the things that we do need to do is to encourage people to exercise the powers they have.

"Some people underappreciate the extent of mayoral powers to make a difference in terms of economic development.

"I think what we need to do is to point to and shout about the benefits that have accrued so that local communities press whoever is their elected mayor to use those powers for economic ends.

"The key thing that Ben [Houchen] will always say is that ultimately his goal is to pioneer and lead economic development above all, and that should be the single most important criteria by which any local leader was judged. What are you doing in terms of bringing jobs, bringing high quality jobs and improving the attractiveness of your area for investment?

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"Mayoral developments corporations are integral to that. So one of the things that I'll be doing whenever I next see Tracy Brabin, Oliver Coppard or [Liverpool City Region mayor] Steve Rotheram is asking them why aren't they more like Ben?"

At the conference, Northern Powerhouse Group chairman Jake Berry put forward the idea of the Government adopting a "Devo Max" approach in which local areas would have the powers to cut taxes.

Mr Gove said that when Mr Berry floats an idea "it becomes Government policy sooner rather than later". But he added he would have to be careful in his response due to ultimate responsibility for such a decision lying with the Treasury and Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

But he added: "My own view is we should try and give the maximum tax-raising flexibility to local Government. As Ben Houchen has pointed out, were he to have control of business rates, he could do even more to attract enterprise to his area."

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Mr Gove's remarks come as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said a Labour Government would give metro mayors more control over spending.

In a speech to the Labour Local Government Association conference in Warwick on Sunday, Sir Keir said he believed the Government's current levelling up agenda is destined to fail because ministers are unwilling to decentralise power from Whitehall.

“The Tories are failing to make the most of every part of the country. They are squandering the amazing potential that sits in our towns, cities, coastal areas, and rural communities. The cost-of-living crisis is born of this," he said.

“And when you read the small print of the Tories’ so-called levelling-up agenda, you can see it’s the same old story – power exercised from the centre, increasingly unaccountable, with citizens shut out from the decisions that affect them the most. I call it divide and rule.”

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Sir Keir said that a Labour government would “rebalance” power in the country, working together with civic leaders and elected mayors on local economic projects and shaping national policy.

“There is a better Labour way. A new partnership in power, and with a Labour government, as a matter of principle, decisions will be made as locally as practicable,” he will say.

“A new wave of powers devolved to help grow local economies. An end to the uncertainty of one-year funding settlements, and more stable funding to allow councils to plan.

“More discretion for metro mayors and local government to spend their budgets how they see fit. No more pitting council against council for pockets of cash.”

'Connectivity problems for North', admits Gove

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Michael Gove has admitted the Government needs to go further on improving transport connections in the North.

Following a question from a local businessman who warned that the levelling up agenda is being held back by poor road and rail connections between Leeds and Manchester, Mr Gove said: "Greater connectivity from essentially an arc from Hull to Liverpool but particularly within West and South Yorkshire and across to Greater Manchester and to Merseyside is absolutely essential if we are going to get the economic growth we need. There is more we need to do there."

His comments follow widespread disappointment about the Government's Integrated Rail Plan, which axed HS2 to Leeds and failed to deliver a proposed Northern Powerhouse Rail line from Leeds to Manchester via Bradford.

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