Devolution deal with elected mayor dropped by Cornwall Council

Cornwall Council will pursue a devolution deal that does not include a directly elected mayor

Cornwall Council has abandoned plans to pursue a devolution deal with an elected mayor due to public opposition.

Council leader Conservative Linda Taylor said it was with the "greatest regret" she could not recommend a level three deal - the highest level of devolution.

She said she would instead push for a level two deal, which comes with significantly less government funding.

Opposition parties said the idea of a mayor was "toxic" and a "lame duck".

The U-turn comes after the results of a public consultation were released last week.

Of 6,105 responses to the survey, 69% of respondents were against the deal with a mayor.

It found older residents were mainly against, and younger people more in favour of the new role.

'Difficult decisions'

Ms Taylor said the council needed to listen to the results of the consultation.

"Whilst there is considerable support for the proposed Cornwall Devolution Deal, there is also significant concern about the requirement to move to a directly elected mayor," she said.

"In order to deliver on our commitment to the people of Cornwall that we will always listen and, where needed, take difficult decisions, it is with the greatest regret that I am unable to recommend to my Cabinet accepting a deal that includes the requirement for a directly elected mayor during the remainder of this administration."

Council leader Linda Taylor and government minister Dehenna Davison signed the offered deal at Spaceport Cornwall in December

Ms Taylor said she would seek to retain "as many elements of the Level 3 deal as possible", including a £10m per year devolved education budget.

The level two deal does not include other elements including the £360m investment fund or £8.7m for brownfield housing development.

Speaking to BBC Radio Cornwall, Ms Taylor defended a council spend of about £60,000 on consultation on the mayor proposal.

"Democracy has a cost to it - £60k to absolutely understand and hear everybody's voice," she said.

"It would have been negligent not to have those discussions and not to go out for that 10-week consultation."

"What we're demonstrating today is we do have to make tough decisions but it's been based on what our residents have been saying to us."

'Flawed proposals'

Colin Martin, Liberal Democrat councillor for Lostwithiel and Lanreath, told BBC Radio Cornwall it was "inevitable" the council would drop the proposal for a mayor.

"The fact this u-turn has happened now rather than potentially being dragged through a million-pound referendum shows the strength of the system we currently have," he said.

"It's just really disappointing we've wasted so much time and money on pursuing a set of proposals that were so flawed right from the start."

Dick Cole, Mebyon Kernow (MK) leader, said the original proposal for devolution was "frustrating" because "there was hardly any devolution in the deal itself".

He said: "What was put in front of us, it was almost heartbreaking - can't we do any better than this?

"I'm hoping now this change will encourage everyone in Cornwall, in the words of the song, to come together and build up a case for a really meaningful devolution settlement like you've got in Wales in Scotland."

Jayne Kirkham, leader of the Labour group on the council, similarly called for devolution deal without the need for a mayor.

She said public opposition to the proposal sent a "very strong message from Cornwall to Westminster".

"We still need that money and those powers desperately," she added.

Opposition parties said the idea of a mayor was "toxic"

Perran Moon, Labour candidate for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle, said the county needed "a proper devolution deal".

"It was never going to be feasible for Cornwall to have a mayor," he told BBC Radio Cornwall.

"We seem to have wasted a heck of a lot of time, effort and money on something that was always going to be a lame duck."

Cllr Taylor said the council would work with the government to "secure the best possible outcome for Cornwall and our residents".

The County Councils Network (CCN), which represents local authorities in England, urged the government to remain "flexible" on governance arrangements.

"We will now support the council in securing the most ambitious devolution deal possible," it said.

"CCN has long called for a new approach to devolution in county areas, moving away from the traditional combined authority model more suitable for city and urban areas."

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