County asks for mayoral cash and powers – minus a mayor

Lancashire has asked the government whether it can have some of the powers and cash that come with a directly elected mayor even if the post itself is years away from being created.

- by Paul Faulkner

Could Lancashire get the perks of an elected mayor before the post is created?

It comes after delays to elections for mayors in other parts of the country placed a question mark over when Lancashire might finally get one of its own.

The county appeared to have been on course to see a directly-elected mayor in May 2027.

That would be almost a year ahead of a separate shakeup that will see Lancashire's 15 main councils abolished and replaced with a handful of new local authorities.