New Mayoral Models
Adventures in Devolved Governance
Work in progress
We are fast approaching the twentieth anniversary of the formal establishment of the Greater London Authority. Offering strategic administration through a single mayoral figurehead, the GLA structure of governance has been woven, seemingly irrevocably, into the patchwork of the United Kingdom’s assymetric devolution agreements.
As we ender the third deacde of the GLA’s existence, there is an argument for taking stock and analysing how the overall governance relationship between the two tiers of London government has adapted. New Mayoral Models: Adventures in devolved governance is a research project asking what has changed for the better over the past two decades, and what aspects would beenfit from reform in the decade leading up to 2030.
As the eight mayoral combined authorities mature, alongside the twenty years of the GLA, the project will look at case studies on how the shape of England’s governance is changing. Each mayoral authority has a different history of joint-working. Their local public sectors are responding in different ways. All have a different set of priorities and a different story to tell.
Key research questions for the project include:
- Given the respective powers and responsibilities of the mayor and the boroughs, how can London governance best come together to tackle today’s pressing policy changes?
- How should we compare the London system with the more recently established combined authority mayoral system?
- How has the establishment of mayoral combined authorities, with their unique powers and role, affected the balance of regional powers in England?
- How can resources flow in a way that enables both tiers of London’s government to make their distinctive contributions to the capital and its different communitites, as well as collaborating for maximum overall effect where their roles intersect?
Further Information
For further information on this research project please get in touch with Joe.Fyans@localis.org.uk
Project kindly supported by
