Andy Burnham's devolution plans supported by the Leader of Devon County Council

Andy Burnham's devolution plans move forward despite him not yet being Prime Minister as Julian Brazil, Leader of Devon County Council 'strongly supports' extended devolution to the South West county.

Devon could be among the first areas in England to adopt a directly elected mayoral model under a new wave of devolution, with the county council's leader saying it is ready to hold elections as soon as May.

There are currently 13 directly elected mayoralties in the UK, with only 1 currently in the South West. Andy Burnham, in his speech yesterday, said he would orchestrate the "biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen". Burnham was previously the Metro Mayor of Greater Manchester, and took control of Greater Manchester's buses with the launch of the Bee Network nearly 3 years ago. Burnham has made clear that he is in support of greater devolution to all parts of the UK, claiming to create a "10 Downing Street in the North".

This would see power decentralised from Parliament in Westminster, and given to local authorities, meaning MPs and ministers would have less power than they do now, whereas local, elected representatives would have more power over their constituency.

Upon hearing Andy Burnham's speech, the Leader of Devon County Council, Julian Brazil, wrote to Andy Burnham in support of his devolution plans, and to set out how Devon could deliver a mayoralty to ensure "good growth in every British postcode".

Cllr Brazil said a mayoralty would help Devon address long-standing challenges while building on its economic strengths. He said:

“I strongly support the ambition to extend devolution across the country, and Devon stands ready to play its part,”

“A mayoral model would give us the tools to build more of the right type of homes, strengthen our economy and ensure opportunities are available to all our communities, from our cities and towns to rural and coastal areas. 

“We are also a hub for industry, business and technology. With a population of around 1.25 million, Devon has a skilled and committed workforce which can help drive economic growth. 

“Our county plays a vital role in feeding the nation and supporting defence, a mayoral model would help us deliver the infrastructure to support those vital industries.

Cllr Brazil added that Devon is ready to work at pace with government. He has invited Mr Burnham to Devon to discuss plans and see first-hand how a mayor could be introduced swiftly. 

With Andy Burnham being Prime Minister in all but name, it is to be expected that devolution will take place at a large scale, and local authorities like Devon certainly won't be the last to support Burnham's calls for increased devolution.