Devon County Council and devolution: "What we’ve asked the government is what extra do we get if we have a mayor. We haven’t had that answer yet. We haven’t got a clue what that’ll bring up."

The EDW blog has been alerting us to the issues around the 'devolution deal' for some time now:
Devolution | East Devon Watch

This evening, it alerted us to an item on the BBC's regional news programme:


DCC LEADER DOESN’T KNOW IF DEVOLUTION WILL FORCE A MAYOR ON US AND, IF SO, WHAT BENEFIT IT WILL BRING – IF ANY

1 MAY2016

John Hart, Leader DCC on Spotlight this evening saying he has written “six or seven letters” asking the Government if the Heart of the Southwest Local Enterprise Partnership devolution bid must include a Mayor for Devon and Somerset and, if so, “what extra benefits would it bring, if any?”

FOR GOD’S SAKE – SHOULDN’T HE (AND ALL THE OTHER COUNCILS AND THE LEP) HAVE SORTED THIS OUT BEFORE THEY PUT THEIR DEVOLUTION BID IN LAST MONTH!!!!!!

DCC leader doesn’t know if devolution will force a Mayor on us and, if so, what benefit it will bring – if any | East Devon Watch

Here is the report in full from BBC One from this evening:

BBC iPlayer - Spotlight - 01/05/2016

Cllr Hart said:
"What we’ve asked the government is what extra do we get if we have a mayor.

We haven’t had that answer yet.

We haven’t got a clue what that’ll bring up."

Devon County Council

See also:
Futures Forum: Devolution and the drawbacks of 'back room' deals
Futures Forum: Devolution in East Devon is an 'opportunity'
Futures Forum: Devolution: a distinct lack of enthusiasm for a metro mayor
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