Norfolk politics expert: It will take a while to see if devolution is a success
Elections in the county are postponed until next year. Ahead of a planned restructure of local Government in Norfolk
A politics expert in Norfolk tells it will take a while to see if upcoming changes to local Government will make them work better, or not.
Elections in the county are postponed until next year. Ahead of a planned restructure of what local authorities in Norfolk do and how they look.
This would see a Mayor be elected in May 2026 for Norfolk and Suffolk. They would lead and be scrutinised by a single local authority called a ' Combined County Authority'.
This authority would receive devolved funding and powers from Westminster, over areas including:
-Housing and regeneration
-Local growth
-Adult skills (except apprenticeships)
-Local transport
"We'll all going to be voting for a Mayor"
Professor Alan Finlayson is from the University of East Anglia:
He told us what the changes mean for all of us:
"Where you now vote for a City or Borough Council and a County Council, instead we'll all going to be voting for a Mayor.
"This person will have overall control of the local area, and a very large budget that delivers a lot of local services".
"The supporters of this like it because they think the Mayor can take important decisions quicker and more authoritatively, than before.
"While those opposed worry that this system means there's less accountability and councillors won't be as representative to them, now".
What is devolution?
Local authorities across the country have voted to determine if they want to be a part of local authorities that will be restructured.
This means dissolving district and borough councils and instead having a unitary council.
The Government has said their vision from this is to create simpler local government structures, with the goal of having better outcomes for residents and saving public money which can then be reinvested in public services, and improving local accountability.
How and when did this decision come about?
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announced on February 6th there are six new potential devolution areas throughout England with "a view to mayoral elections in May 2026".
These areas are Cumbria, Cheshire and Warrington, Greater Essex, Hampshire and Solent, Norfolk and Suffolk, and Sussex and Brighton.
Ms Rayner, who is also the Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary, told the Commons: "These places will get a fast-track ticket to drive real change in their area.
"While devolution can sound techie, the outcome is simple - it's a plan for putting more money in people's pockets, it's a plan for quicker, better, cheaper transport designed with local people in mind, a plan for putting politics back in the service of working people."