Manchester to be governed by nation’s first ‘Super Council’
Article published: Tuesday, November 16th 2010
The ten local authorities making up Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) have been given new law-making powers forming Britain’s first ‘Super Council’, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).
From 1 April 2011 the GMCA will have the ability to legislate on housing, economic development, climate change, transport and higher education. It is the first time councils in England outside of London have been enabled to work together in such a manner. A member from each individual council will be appointed to sit on the higher authority, with most decisions made by simple majority.
The move follows the Conservative government’s decision to shut down the North West Development Agency. Its closest replacement is a new ‘Local Enterprise Partnership’ won by Greater Manchester a few weeks ago. Council leaders hope the reforms will rationalise local economic governance, and allow Manchester to “make the strongest possible case for resources and investment.” For many economic policy-makers, the city region is where it’s at.
What does it mean for Manchester? MULE’s off the cuff assessment: The plan had been proposed under the previous Labour government, but it will certainly now mean a dilution of their authority as Conservative-dominated councils in the rest of Greater Manchester now gain legislative power over this Labour stronghold. At the same time, one reason some outlying councils have fought against such proposals for decades is a fear that the greater wealth of communter-belt will be redistributed to poorer areas like Manchester and Salford.
Think of it like the EU at the city-regional level. The move will certainly make economic governance more efficient in some ways and make Greater Manchester stronger and more independent, but it remains to be seen whether this will come at the cost of local engagement in politics. There are likely to be many more decisions being made through increasingly powerful and centralised bodies like the Commission for the New Economy. Our present system seems to struggle to be accountable and open enough to its citizens. Will moving governance up a level help solve this problem? We’ll see.
Andy Bowman and Andy Lockhart
More: Council, Local economy, News
Comments
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Could be a good idea so long as the new body doesn’t get big ideas about hiring lots of staff with meaningless job titles, building a fancy HQ, designing logos, composing slogans and mission statements and generally doing all those things which public bodies love to do to waste other people’s money.
As for the Labour stronghold of Manchester, it doesn’t have a lot to lose does it? It’s poverty stricken, unhealthy, poorly educated and poorly housed inhabitants might as well see what the new supercouncil brings. It can hardly be much worse than decades of Labout domination has brought.
Comment by simon on November 16, 2010 at 6:40 pm -
Could it be that finally the ‘Manchester mafia’ may have to move over?
Comment by manchester photography on November 18, 2010 at 2:59 am -
This will appeal greatly to the enormous egos in townhalls across the region.
Let’s not get to thinking we matter more than them.
Comment by steven durrant on November 19, 2010 at 10:41 pm -
[…] And what about the creation of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, is the climate plan for Greater Manchester underway […]
Pingback by Interview with Executive Member for the Environment Nigel Murphy — MULE on December 8, 2010 at 2:18 pm
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