Devolution in the North East

Abstract

In May, the North East Mayoral Combined Authority will elect its first Metro Mayor, creating one of the largest, and potentially most important, devolved authorities in England. This is taking place 20 years on from the failure of the last Labour government to get local people in the North East to agree to its plans for a new model of regional government. This time round, a modest system of devolved administration – here and in some other parts of England – will be in place should Labour win the coming election (as current polling suggests it will). How the party understands and responds to the challenges that its predecessors failed to surmount will say much about its competence and strategic priorities in relation to the grand challenge of English devolution.