House Of Lords Vote No To Elected Mayors

THERE were a few shivers last week for the Northern Powerhouse, particularly the Greater Manchester contingent, when David Cameron suffered his government’s first defeat of the new parliament.

Labour won a vote in the House of Lords detailing how cities that want devolution should not be forced to have elected mayors. Colluding with the Liberal Democrats Labour passed three amendments to the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill: ministers will have to prepare annual reports on devolution including a test on suitability but also be allowed to proceed to devolution without an elected mayor. 

This latter measure seemed aimed directly at Chancellor George Osborne's requirement that Greater Manchester elect a mayor in 2017 as the price of steaming ahead to more effective devolution. Of course, this could be overturned by the House of Commons when the bill returns there for debate. After all the Conservatives have far more power in the Commons than they do in the Lords. 

So could this threaten the Manchester arrangements or maybe slow the process of devolution down? 

Sir Richard Leese, council leader of the City of Manchester and a bookies favourite for the Greater Manchester elected mayor, says no. He told Confidential, "Greater Manchester has chosen a route to devolution designed by us in Greater Manchester. I have no desire to impose our model on others and there is nothing in the Lords amendments' that would prevent DevoManc going ahead." 

In otherwords Greater Manchester is comfortable with an elected mayor but other places should be allowed to move forward as they see fit. 

What the decision of the Labour Party in the Lords might hint at is a growing rift between the leaders of the party in the Manchester districts and the national Party leadership. There was clear irritation from key national figures such as Andy Burnham prior to May's General Election. This could lead to problems down the line in which a largely Labour Greater Manchester might find itself outside mainstream Party thinking.

For now though the national Labour Party is in such a mess it has far more to worry about than how this region's devolution momentum can be slowed. 

The region's first elected mayor will take control in 2017.