Mayoral Council for England

Forum for regional mayors in England

Mayoral Council for England

Type
Type|

Forum for regional mayors

of England

History
Founded| 10 October 2024; 10 months ago (2024-10-10)
Leadership

Chair

Angela Rayner, Deputy Prime Minister

Structure
Seats| 15

Political groups

* Labour Party (11)
* Conservative Party (2)
* Reform UK (2)

Meeting place
Meeting of the Mayoral Council in London, 23 May 2025
This article is part of a series within the
Politics of the United Kingdom on the

Politics of England

The Crown

* Monarch: Charles III
* Heir Apparent: William, Prince of Wales

* * *

* Republicanism in the United Kingdom

Governance

* King-in-Council: Charles III
* Prime Minister: Keir Starmer (L)
* Deputy Prime Minister: Angela Rayner (L)

Legislative

* King-in-Parliament: Charles III
* House of Lords
* Lord Speaker: The Lord McFall of Alcluith

* * *

* Reform of the House of Lords

* * *

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* Speaker: Sir Lindsay Hoyle
* MPs for England Constituencies
* Regional Affairs Committee

Elections

UK General Elections in England

* * *

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Regions

* East of England
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Administration

* History
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* Mayoral Council for England
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* Category
* England portal

* Other countries

* v
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* e

The Mayoral Council for England is a political body in England that brings together ministers from the UK Government, the Mayor of London, and combined authority mayors.[1][2][3][4]

## History

[edit]

### Background

[edit]

#### David Cameron's proposed English Cabinet of Mayors

[edit]

UK prime minister David Cameron proposed in 2012 that England's directly elected mayors sit within an "English Cabinet of Mayors", giving them the opportunity to share ideas and represent their regions at English national level. This proposed cabinet of mayors would have been chaired by the prime minister and meet at least twice a year.[5][6] However, no action was taken to form such a body.

#### Gordon Brown's proposed Council of England

[edit]

Plans for a "Council of England" featured in a 2022 Labour Party report on constitutional reform by Gordon Brown titled A New Britain: Renewing our Democracy and Rebuilding our Economy.[7] The proposed council would be chaired by the prime minister and would include leaders of combined authorities, the mayor of London, representatives of local government and other stakeholders in England. Earlier, Labour's manifesto for the 2017 general election included a commitment to establish the post of a "Minister for England" within the Department of Communities and Local Government.[8][9]

#### Dunlop Review's proposed English Regions Forum

[edit]

The 2021 The Dunlop Review into UK Government Union Capability suggested that consideration could be given to establishing an "English Regions Forum" to "feed views in from sub-national governments in England to UK Government ministers".[10][11][12]

#### Electoral Reform Society's proposed English Leaders' Forum

[edit]

A 2022 report by the Electoral Reform Society suggested the establishment of an "English Leaders' Forum" to bring together UK ministers with combined authority mayors, single local authority mayors and council leaders. It also suggested the creation of an "England Office" to act as a representative for English local government to the UK government and serve to coordinate between central and local government on English devolved matters.[13]

#### Onward's proposed National Mayors Association

[edit]

Conservative leaning think tank Onward proposed the formation of a National Mayors Association and creation of various Joint Delivery Taskforces involving the UK central government, metro mayors and local authorities in a report titled Give Back Control published in 2022.[14][15]

#### Institute for Government's proposed English Devolution Council

[edit]

In a report titled Devolving English Government published in April 2023, to counter what they described as over-centralisation and a democratic deficit in England, the Institute for Government and the University of Cambridge's Bennett Institute for Public Policy proposed the formation of an "English Devolution Council", and the establishment of an "Office for England" led by a "Secretary of State for England". Under the proposals the English Devolution Council would include the mayor of London and existing combined authority mayors. An interim mechanism would be put in place for the participation of local leaders in areas of England without a mayoral combined authority. The role of the council would be to debate issues related to local and regional governance in England, to call ministers and experts to provide evidence and to advise the UK central Government on English affairs. The Existing Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government would be split into a Department for Housing and Communities and an Office for England, which would take on responsibility for oversight of devolved and local governance in England. The Secretary of State for England would chair a cabinet committee for England including other secretaries of state from departments whose remits mainly apply to England only.[16][17][18]

### Establishment

[edit]

Following Labour's victory in the 2024 United Kingdom general election, the new prime minister Keir Starmer informally met England's combined authority mayors and the mayor of London on 9 July.[19][20] The first formal meeting of the Mayoral Council, chaired by deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, took place on 10 October 2024 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and the council is expected to meet on a quarterly basis. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it set up the Mayoral Council to "strengthen the relationships between central government and the mayors" ahead of publishing a white paper on devolution.[1][21][22] The first meeting of the Council of the Nations and Regions, which also included England's combined authority mayors and the mayor of London, took place the following day.

Unlike the proposed "Council of England", the Mayoral Council does not include local government representatives in areas without a mayoral combined authority, or other stakeholders. However, at the 2024 Labour Party Conference, Labour reiterated its commitment to English devolution, saying that all areas of England "should eventually be covered by mayoral devolution", which would mean that the Mayoral Council would eventually evolve into an all-England forum.[23]

The post of Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, held by Jim McMahon, was established within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in July 2024.

#### Mayors Network (M10 Group)

[edit]

Combined authority mayors and the Mayor of London also meet informally on a monthly basis as the Mayors Network (M10 Group) allowing them to consult each other, coordinate their actions, and gain access to UK government ministers.[24][25][26] This network has been chaired by Tracy Barbin since May 2022 and previously by Dan Jarvis.[27][28]

## Purpose

[edit]

The English Devolution White Paper published on 16 December 2024 stated that the functions and aims of the Mayoral Council are as follows:

"The Council will be the key forum for engagement between central government and Mayors on Local Growth Plans, pushing the frontier on devolution, feeding back on how best to deliver on the ground, and identifying opportunities to better coordinate national and local policy."[29]

## Membership

[edit]

At establishment in October 2024, 48% of the population and 26% of the land area of England was represented on the council.[30] This increased to more than half of the population of England following mayoral elections in Greater Lincolnshire and Hull and East Yorkshire in May 2025.

Areas of England represented on the Mayoral Council are shown in red Council members in May 2025

The membership of the Mayoral Council is currently as follows:

Name  | Authority  | Position within authority

|
|

| Angela Rayner | Government of the United Kingdom | Deputy Prime Minister
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
| Sadiq Khan | Greater London Authority | Mayor of London
| Paul Bristow | Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority | Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
| Claire Ward | East Midlands Combined County Authority | Mayor of the East Midlands
| Andrea Jenkyns | Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority | Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire
| Andy Burnham | Greater Manchester Combined Authority | Mayor of Greater Manchester
| Luke Campbell | Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority | Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire
| Steve Rotheram | Liverpool City Region Combined Authority | Mayor of the Liverpool City Region
| Kim McGuinness | North East Combined Authority | Mayor of the North East
| Oliver Coppard | South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority | Mayor of South Yorkshire
| Ben Houchen | Tees Valley Combined Authority | Mayor of the Tees Valley
| Richard Parker | West Midlands Combined Authority | Mayor of the West Midlands
| Helen Godwin | West of England Combined Authority | Mayor of the West of England
| Tracy Brabin | West Yorkshire Combined Authority | Mayor of West Yorkshire
| David Skaith | York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority | Mayor of York and North Yorkshire

The membership of the council will increase as new mayoral combined authorities are established in England.

## Meetings and activities

[edit]

### Meetings

[edit]

Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner meeting with Mayors July 2024 First official meeting of the Mayoral Council in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 10 October 2024

An unofficial meeting of mayors was held in July 2024 and the first formal meeting of the council took place in October 2024. The council meets four times a year.[21]

Meetings of the Mayoral Council for England

Date  | Location
9 July 2024 (unofficial)[31] | 10 Downing Street,
London
10 October 2024[32][33] | The Common Room,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
23 January 2025[34] | Advanced Manufacturing Park,
Rotherham
23 May 2025[35] | Lancaster House,
London

### Activities

[edit]

Members of the council participated in the Global Investment Summit at the London Guildhall on 14 October 2024.[36][37] Mayors met Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves in Darlington on 12 December 2024.[38][39]

## See also

[edit]

* Council of the Nations and Regions
* Local Government Leaders' Council
* Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution
* Governance of England
* Politics of England
* Devolved English parliament
* Council of the North (1484–1641)
* Council of the West (1539–1540)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Deputy Prime Minister launches first-ever Mayoral Council". GOV.UK. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
2. ^ Jones, Polly (11 October 2024). "Mayoral Council meets to discuss devolution". Government Business.
3. ^ "The Deputy Prime Minister chairs the Council of Mayors meeting". Flickr.
4. ^ Peters, Dan (10 October 2024). "Relationship reset". Municipal Journal.
5. ^ Kasprzak, Emma (19 April 2012). "Mayoral referendums: The mayors of the twinned cities". BBC News. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
6. ^ "Rival campaigns fight over directly-elected mayors in England". BBC News. 12 April 2012.
7. ^ Mason, Rowena; Brooks, Libby (4 December 2022). "Labour unveils plan to overhaul constitution and replace the Lords". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
8. ^ "For the Many not the Few: The Labour Party Manifesto 2017" (PDF). Lancaster University. 2017.
9. ^ Jones, Richard Wyn; Henderson, Ailsa (23 April 2021). "Like it or not, Keir Starmer will not win without England". Prospect.
10. ^ "The Dunlop Review into UK Government Union capability". GOV.UK. 24 March 2021.
11. ^ Anderson, Paul (1 May 2024). "Metro mayors and Whitehall need a better way to work together". LSE.
12. ^ Dunlop, Andrew (10 February 2021). "Andrew Dunlop on the Future of the Union". Policy Exchange.
13. ^ Palese, Michela (9 March 2022). "Democracy Made in England: Where Next for English Local Government?". Electoral reform Society.
14. ^ Hawksbee, Adam (18 June 2022). "Give Back Control: Realising the Potential of Mayors". Onward.
15. ^ McGauran, Ann (20 June 2022). "Unleash wave of mayoral devo, says think tank". LocalGov.
16. ^ Lewsey, Fred (6 April 2023). "England needs a 'council of mayors' and Secretary of State to embed English devolution at the heart of Whitehall". University of Cambridge.
17. ^ "England needs a 'council of mayors' and Secretary of State to embed English devolution at the heart of Whitehall - report". The Bennett Institute for Public Policy. 6 April 2023.
18. ^ "Devolving English government". The Bennett Institute for Public Policy. 6 April 2023.
19. ^ "Devolution delivery for first mayoral meeting". GOV.UK (Press release). 9 July 2024.
20. ^ "UK politics live: Keir Starmer departs for Nato summit after making first speech to Parliament as PM". BBC News. 9 July 2024.
21. ^ a b "Rayner launches Mayoral Council | Local Government Chronicle (LGC)". lgcplus.com. 11 October 2024. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
22. ^ Holland, Daniel (10 October 2024). "Mayor defends Labour devolution plans and calls for more powers for North East". Chronicle Live.
23. ^ White, Hannah; Thomas, Alex; Tetlow, Gemma; Pope, Thomas; Davies, Nick; Davison, Nehal; Metcalfe, Sophie; Paun, Akash (26 September 2024). "Seven things we learned from the Labour Party Conference 2024". Institute for Government. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
24. ^ https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/1706a4b2-9908-4524-94af-a248f85132f8
25. ^ Anderson, Paul (1 May 2024). "Metro mayors and Whitehall need a better way to work together". London School of Economics and Political Science.
26. ^ "D57f3741-c76e-4094-b058-91f5057ab58b".
27. ^ "Mayor of West Yorkshire, to Chair the 'M10' Group of Metro Mayors". West Yorkshire Combined Authority. 6 May 2022.
28. ^ "Working with other Mayors". Jamie Driscoll.
29. ^ "English Devolution White Paper: 2. How we will deliver devolution in England". GOV.UK. 16 December 2024.
30. ^ Henderson, Duncan; et al. (21 June 2024). "English devolution". Institute for Government.
31. ^ "Driving local growth through a "new era" of devolution: No 10 mayoral roundtable". Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. 12 July 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
32. ^ "The governance of the Union". Monitor (88). University College London Constitution Unit. November 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
33. ^ "Deputy Prime Minister launches first-ever Mayoral Council". SLCC. 11 October 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
34. ^ Sebestyen, Roland (23 January 2025). "Angela Rayner visits South Yorkshire for second 'Mayoral Council meeting'". The Star. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
35. ^ "Straight to the top – Mayor meets with Prime Minister". Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority. 23 May 2025. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
36. ^ "England's mayors in diplomacy dance to shift balance of power". Financial Times. 17 October 2024.
37. ^ "The Deputy Prime Minister attends the International Investment Summit". Flickr.
38. ^ @RachelReevesMP (12 December 2024). "Brilliant to join mayors from across the country in Darlington to talk about our plans to make every part of Britain better off" (Tweet) - via Twitter.
39. ^ Fraser, Kayleigh (12 December 2024). "Chancellor Rachel Reeves to visit Sunderland today". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 30 January 2025.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mayoral Council for England.

* Deputy Prime Minister launches first-ever Mayoral Council
* The Deputy Prime Minister chairs the Council of Mayors meeting \- October 2024
* The Deputy Prime Minister chairs the Mayoral Council meeting for regional mayors \- January 2025
* The Deputy Prime Minister chairs the Mayoral Council meeting for regional mayors \- May 2025

* England portal

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Intergovernmental relations in the United Kingdom

Intergovernmental bodies|

* Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments Council

Quasi-intergovernmental bodies|

* Council of the Nations and Regions
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Local government bodies|

* Local Government Leaders' Council
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Interparliamentary bodies|

* Inter-Parliamentary Forum

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Devolution in the United Kingdom

Devolved areas|

| National level|

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Regional level (in England)|

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Referendums1|

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Historical|

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* 1\. Rejected referendums are italicised. The others were fully or partially approved.
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Directly elected mayoralties in England

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Combined authorities and combined county authorities in England

Legislation|

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Current|

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Approved|

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