Will the Thames Valley soon have an elected mayor?

Councils in Oxfordshire and Berkshire are hoping to create a new Thames Valley Mayoral Strategic Authority

London has one, New York has one, and it seems as if the Thames Valley may be getting its own mayor as well.

The idea has been knocking around for months, but councils across the region have now officially lodged what's called an "expression of interest" with the government.

They want to create a new Thames Valley Mayoral Strategic Authority - quite the mouthful.

If the government gives the idea the thumb up, the new organisation would have an elected mayor at its head.

The plan's backers say the new authority would have "the potential to unlock up to £18.7bn for the Thames Valley economy by 2040".

The new combined authority would be made up of councils from across Berkshire and Oxfordshire, with the Wiltshire town of Swindon also looking to get in on the act.

They argue that the MSA - to give it its shorter, snappier title - would mean they could "deliver more integrated effective transport and infrastructure, creating the conditions for faster, more inclusive growth across the region".

Translate that into English and what they are basically saying is this new organisation would see everyone sitting happily around the fireside, agreeing what is best for the region.

Even if that might not exactly be ideal for the people who voted them in as their local councillors in the first place.

If the government does ultimately approve this idea, this is where the new mayor would earn their money, as getting everyone to put their own residents' concerns to one side for the good of all won't be easy.

'Think outside the box'

Which begs the question - how much might this all cost?

It's hard to say this early in the process, but we do know how much England's mayors earn.

Tot up the salaries for the 12 we currently have and the average is £102,000 a year.

London's Sadiq Khan tops the list at £160,000 with Tees Valley's mayor earning less than half that, at £65,000 a year.

Its a fair guess that Thames Valley's mayor, if we ever get one, won't be short of a bob or two.

Then again given the responsibility that would come with such a role, head hunters might say you would expect them to be paid that kind of money.

For Oxford City Council's leader Susan Brown the whole idea of a mayor-led authority is a no-brainer

The words "working together" appear again and again in all the messaging the various councils involved in this scheme are putting out.

As does the idea of making it easier for people to move around the region.

For Oxford City Council's leader Susan Brown the whole idea of a mayor-led authority is a no-brainer.

"London and Manchester have secured major infrastructure improvements through mayoral strategic authorities, particularly in transport," she said.

For her equivalent at Slough Borough Council, Dexter Smith, this new authority would help secure a long-called for western rail link to Heathrow airport.

He said: "Heathrow is not just for the airport's business, but also makes it possible for millions of foreign passengers to visit tourist destinations all over the Thames Valley.

"We need to think outside the box and seize the day."

The new combined authority would be made up of councils from Berkshire and Oxfordshire, potentially together with Swindon

There are still a lot pieces to fit this into this strategic authority jigsaw, not least trying to work out where the pieces emblazoned with the word "Swindon" on them might fit in.

More detailed proposals are already being developed in the hope that this "expression of interest" will one day in the not too distant future turn into the real thing.

There's no guarantee the government will go along with this proposal for a Thames Valley Mayoral Strategic Authority.

But its supporters in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Swindon argue, if created, it would generate £7 billion in additional tax revenue for the region as a whole.