MP likens proposed Wessex “mega-mayor” to “Jude the Obscure”

An MP has stated that a suggested “mega-mayor” covering three English counties would likely be an unfamiliar individual lacking ties to the majority of the region. On Monday, the government revealed its intentions for each English region to feature an elected mayor responsible for supervising housing, planning, education, and various other services. The leaders of the councils in Dorset, Somerset, and Wiltshire expressed approval for this initiative, having previously disclosed their own proposals for a Heart of Wessex authority. Nevertheless, Vikki Slade, the MP for Mid-Dorset and North Poole, informed the House of Commons that a Wessex mayor would resemble the Thomas Hardy character Jude the Obscure. She stated: “I have faced local government reorganisation before, as leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council.” “Five years on in Dorset, the public are not convinced that large unitaries [single tier councils] work for them. “They do not see services improve; they just see a more remote council that has to cover a much bigger area, moving money from where it was raised to be spent elsewhere, and through an organisation that cannot understand the differing needs. “Scale that up even further, and I fear that more issues and individual community needs will slip through the net.” The Liberal Democrat spokesperson for local government noted that mayors would possess “extended powers and the ability to levy a mayoral tax.” Ms Slade further remarked: “For my area of Wessex, which is Thomas Hardy country, rather than being well-known local leaders, the creation of a mega-mayor is more likely to be a case of Jude the Obscure,” referring to the Hardy novel. Subsequently, during an interview with BBC Radio Solent, she conceded that mayors could potentially wield advantageous powers concerning strategic planning and transport. BCP Council had previously declined an invitation to become part of the suggested Heart of Wessex region. Nevertheless, in a statement, it declared: “We are still open to looking at all devolution options… including a regional mayoral system.” Nick Ireland, the leader of Dorset Council, stated that the establishment of a more extensive mayoral authority was unavoidable. The Liberal Democrat councillor commented: “The advantage is we will get money and the reality is we don’t really have a choice. The government is mandating this.” “Realistically, I think we may have an election in May 2026 for a mayoral strategic authority.” Ministers view the establishment of more influential local mayors as a method to facilitate infrastructure development and draw in increased investment. Elected mayors would supervise areas encompassing two or more councils, potentially leading to the abolition of dozens of district councils. Nevertheless, Dorset would remain unaffected in this regard, as its two councils are unitary authorities and would persist as a lower tier of local government. You can find BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.