Salford and Eccles MP, Rebecca Long Bailey, denounced the legitimacy of the Greater Manchester Mayoral system in Parliament yesterday during a debate on elected mayors and devolution...
"We have good experience of the mayoral system in Salford" she explained "However, our executive mayoralty was the result of a referendum in which local people had their say. They now find, regarding Greater Manchester, that another layer has been inserted above their heads without any such legitimacy."
She then asked Justin Madders, the Labour Party's Shadow Minister for Health, whether he agreed "that democracy must be at the heart of devolution".
Madders totally agreed... "An irony in this whole debate is that central Government are seeking to dictate to local government on the forms of governance" he said "There also appears to be an insistence that the deals be hurriedly put in place to meet a purely political timetable, so that elections can be held in May 2017.
"That goes against the views of experts such as Lord Kerslake, the chair of the Centre for Public Scrutiny, who stated that public engagement should take place during `the process of coming to the deal', and then, `having done the deal'" he added "The Communities and Local Government Committee also criticised the negotiation process, saying that it lacks rigour, and that `there are no clear, measurable objectives for devolution, the timetable is rushed and efforts are not being made to inject openness or transparency into the deal negotiations'.
"Leaders of areas that have in recent years undergone severe budget cuts that threaten front-line services and the most vulnerable residents are effectively being told, `We can give you the tools that you need to revive your areas, but only on certain conditions'" he explained "That kind of approach is undemocratic. It lacks openness, transparency, any consultation, and measurable objectives, and is being done in a rushed way that risks leaving areas with poorly constructed deals that are adopted without the application of any local scrutiny."
Madders again quoted the Committee... "For devolution to take root and fulfil its aims, it needs to involve and engage the people it is designed to benefit" he said "...if the council where I live proposed an increase in council tax of about £30, there would need to be a referendum - but apparently no referendum is needed on whether to put responsibility for hundreds of millions of pounds into the hands of one person.
"...Devolution will hopefully allow local communities to create new jobs, unlock sites for development and improve transport infrastructure" he added "Who does not want to see that? I warmly welcome the opportunities that a devolution deal could bring to my area, but I have heard nothing that convinces me that we need a mayor to deliver them..."
The deal to bring a Greater Manchester Mayor was signed with Chancellor George Osborne behind closed doors by the leaders of the ten Greater Manchester councils, including Salford Mayor, Ian Stewart. And the process is still being criticised by the Greater Manchester Campaign for Democratic Devolution which has slated "the whole dodgy and completely undemocractic Devo Manc devolution deal" adding that it is "The promotion of corporate and private business interests, at the expense of the wider public"... (see here)
Meanwhile, Labour Party candidates are currently battling it out to get the nomination for GM Mayor election, with current Interim Mayor, Tony Lloyd, apparently being endorsed by Salford Labour Party, at the expense of Andy Burnham and Ivan Lewis.
Tony Lloyd has come under fire in Salford recently in the his £100,000 a year role as Greater Manchester Police Commissioner, for being inactive surrounding the Anthony Grainger shooting (see here and see here) and his failure to act during the Barton Moss anti-fracking protest policing and arrests, with most subsequent court cases being lost or dropped by Greater Manchester Police (see here and see here and see here).
For further details on the Commons Select Committee's slating of the devolution process - click here
See also: 2.8million Greater Manchester residents Being Denied Democratic Rights - click here
* Read the whole devolution/mayor debate from Parliament yesterday - click here
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