Rayner “hopeful” of an elected mayor by 2026

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is “hopeful” that Lancashire will have an elected mayor by 2026.

And she has told MPs that the government will continue to work with local leaders across the county to deliver that change as part of its devolution drive.

She was speaking in a Commons debate, following her announcement that six other parts of the country will be involved in a fast-track devolution priority programme.

They include Lancashire’s neighbour Cumbria, which is now set to get a new strategic authority similar to the Greater Manchester and Liverpool city regions, which have large-scale devolution deals.

Lancashire’s new combined county authority (CCA) is now officially up and running. It is a ‘level two’ devolution deal with the government and does not include an elected mayor.

Announcing the fast-track programme, Ms Rayner, who is also the housing, communities and local government secretary, said: “Lancashire is already deciding its mayoral devolution options, and we will look at its proposals in the autumn in parallel with the priority programme.”

During the debate Rossendale and Darwen Labour MP Andy MacNae said Lancashire had been “left behind for far too long.”

He added: “Full devolution with a mayor, along with local government reorganisation, can unlock our potential, deliver growth, and ultimately put money in our residents’ pockets.

“Will the Deputy Prime Minister join me in calling on Lancashire leaders to grasp this generational opportunity?”

Ms Rayner told him: “Absolutely. I am hopeful that Lancashire will have a mayor by 2026. We will continue to work with local leaders across Lancashire to deliver that.”

Blackburn’s Independent MP Adnan Hussain said: “Lancashire combined county authority has now been established and my constituents are keen to unleash its potential, creating new jobs and inviting funding and investment into the county.”

He asked “Can the secretary of state reassure my constituents that the government will help progress that combined authority into the next phase of devolution?”

The Deputy Prime Minister replied: “We want to see areas such as Lancashire reach their full potential, because that is our growth mission.

“As the Prime Minister set out, people have to see that growth in their pockets across the whole of England, and that is what our agenda is about.

“It is about working with local leaders and Members of Parliament to genuinely unleash the growth potential that we have across Lancashire and the whole of England.”

Speaking at the Lancashire Festival of Business last month, Mo Isap, chairman of the combined authority’s new business board, declared the county was on a journey towards an elected mayor in 2026.

In his first public appearance in the role, he said: “We have the opportunity to really go big.”

He told delegates that Manchester’s elected mayor Andy Burnham has a £13bn, 10-year growth plan and the city-region was getting £1bn of investment a year as a result of its devolution deal.

Comparing that to Lancashire he said: “Over the last 10 years we have only had £1.5bn from government. We are not in the car park never mind in the room.”

Mo told the festival, organised by Lancashire Business View in partnership with Lancashire County Council, that ‘level three’ devolution deals with an elected mayor is “where the real action is.”

He said: “Investment is going into regions where the government believes and is confident that it will give a result and a return for the economy and for growth.

“If we are not going to be in that room, if we are not in that position to secure that level of investment that is available, and it is not just a mirage or spin, we are going to miss out considerably.”

Mo said that from day one Lancashire’s elected mayor would have the same opportunity as the mayors of Manchester, Liverpool and London