My letter to the Times and Star and the Whitehaven News:
Sir,
I was surprised to see on your pages over Christmas, the zeal that our local Labour politicians now have for devolution in Cumbria. For eight years while Labour led our local councils, they were vehemently opposed to our Conservative government's plans for devolution of powers from Whitehall to Cumbria, and with it significant additional funding - going so far as to challenge reorganisation in the courts with residents' council tax.
Devolution is stage two, after the reorganisation of seven councils to two and the expected reduction in costs, bureaucracy and duplication. Although I have to say, neither Labour or the Liberal Democrats have made a success of that - with ever-increasing council tax for ever-decreasing services, choosing instead to fund pet projects over protecting the pound in your pocket.
To be clear, I think the move is the right one for Cumbria - but it should be done in consultation with residents, not imposed by Whitehall. Residents would have had their say in that process under the previous government and would have been able to shape their own future. Now Angela Rayner has told Cumbrian Councils that it's happening anyway without our approval, and they're trying to get ahead by claiming it as their own idea. But in the interim, they've cost us hundreds of millions of pounds and allowed others to forge ahead of us. We must never forget.
An elected Mayor, leading a board with representatives from both Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness, would be a strategic figurehead for Cumbria. Someone who can concentrate on bringing investment and jobs and deliver the services that should have continued county-wide for efficiency, unencumbered by the day-to-day issues of running a council. Someone who is directly accountable to the electorate for their actions. I agree that the post should include the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner role, so that we have no more elected politicians than we have today - although it's a shame that wish doesn't extend to our Labour politician's own councils, as Cumberland Council are set to increase the number of councillors by 20% in 2027.
The successful candidate should also follow the lead of incredibly successful Conservative Mayors Ben Houchen and Andy Street and commit to no additional Mayoral precept on your council tax bill. I live in hope!
Mark Jenkinson
Former Member of Parliament for Workington
