'Act now to make Devo work for us'

Keir Starmer and crew are pro devolution, that we know. But are they focused on supporting Lancashire to devolve?

The Devolution Bill quoted in the King’s speech talks of weighting positive investment towards those areas which go for a mayoral combined authority.

You only have to look at the meeting Keir called in the first few days of government – a prioritised private audience for all mayors with other leaders very much a poor second.

The mood music from MPs and Jim McMahon the ‘Devo Tzar’ is that focus will now be on mayoral deals with little houseroom for anything else.
Our great swathe of Labour MPs are now on the ground backing a mayoral combined authority.

But they haven’t been versed in the local difficulties in trying to build an alliance of our local authorities.

If we’re not proactive in pushing for an acceptable devo deal we will soon see Lancashire alone in the North West, unfunded, underdeveloped and at the back of the queue for government investment.

Cheshire and Cumbria will pass us by while we are arguing amongst ourselves.

If we really want that government investment, autonomy and an escalating financially beneficial devo deal process to commence like Andy Burnham has in Manchester, we need to act now for the chance for real transport infrastructure funding, the opportunity for investment zones and the right to have a voice at the top table of government and regional power.

We need to lobby our local authorities and MPs now to ensure government locally, regionally and nationally know we want devolution – and a chance to control and invest in our future.