Really good post. The first person I have read who has addressed the impact of Reform on mayors, even if it was a ‘What if’. Here, in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire and neighbouring Doncaster we have Labour mayors who now have to work with Reform majorities. It is even likely to impact on the composition of planned local government reorganisation. I have yet to read anything on these questions. 🐰
Thanks! Yes, I might delve into it a bit more, as obviously this was just a passing reference this week - at a Combined Authority level the Tees Valley have lived with it for most of the time Ben Houchen has been mayor, where his cabinet has been largely Labour council leaders. That's caused it's problems, not least encouraging some of the less than transparent processes that have gone on, but is probably a lot more viable than a single local authority version where you're just completely at odds. In North Tyneside Reform wouldn't have had a single councillor, as there were none up this time, but they'd have the council leader...I'm not sure how practically that would work, the Labour group leader would de facto by in charge anyway. A real tester for local government structures and procedures.
Fascinating and terrifying in equal measure thinking about how things are going to go in the next few years.
Really good post. The first person I have read who has addressed the impact of Reform on mayors, even if it was a ‘What if’. Here, in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire and neighbouring Doncaster we have Labour mayors who now have to work with Reform majorities. It is even likely to impact on the composition of planned local government reorganisation. I have yet to read anything on these questions. 🐰
Thanks! Yes, I might delve into it a bit more, as obviously this was just a passing reference this week - at a Combined Authority level the Tees Valley have lived with it for most of the time Ben Houchen has been mayor, where his cabinet has been largely Labour council leaders. That's caused it's problems, not least encouraging some of the less than transparent processes that have gone on, but is probably a lot more viable than a single local authority version where you're just completely at odds. In North Tyneside Reform wouldn't have had a single councillor, as there were none up this time, but they'd have the council leader...I'm not sure how practically that would work, the Labour group leader would de facto by in charge anyway. A real tester for local government structures and procedures.
Fascinating and terrifying in equal measure thinking about how things are going to go in the next few years.