Stalled devo deals given green light

PRETTY much everyone agrees with the idea that powers and money should be moved out of Whitehall to local leaders who understand their areas.

- ROB PARSONS

But actually making it happen is often easier said than done.

As an example, devolution deals were agreed by the last Tory government in late 2023 with Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire, Lancashire and Lincolnshire after years of wrangling over the detail.

But the snap General Election arrived before they could be signed into law, meaning the whole thing was put on hold.

Now after taking a couple of months to look over the deals, new Labour Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has put leaders out of their misery and said they can go ahead after all in the form originally agreed.

It means we'll see Greater Lincolnshire and Hull and East Yorkshire mayors elected next May. And in Lancashire - which is proceeding without an elected political figurehead the new combined authority could be up and running by early 2025.