What's next - a powerful new Mayor for the whole of York and North Yorkshire?

It will NOT be forced to merge with Ryedale, Selby and Scarborough councils to form a large ‘super authority’ stretching from Selby to the North Sea.

Instead, following an announcement by Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick on Wednesday, it will remain an independent unitary local authority. North Yorkshire County Council, meanwhile, will swallow up all the district councils in the area, absorbing them into a second, county-wide unitary authority that will wrap around York like a doughnut.

So, business as usual, then, in York at least?

Well, not quite - the whole process of local government re-organisation has been linked to regional devolution. It is likely – though not yet certain – that the people of York and North Yorkshire will now be asked to elect a single executive Mayor to represent the whole region.

If that happens, York council will still probably continue to do most of the things it does now. But it will also be expected to work with the regional executive Mayor, who will have strategic powers to make economic deals for the region and who will take on the powers of, for example, the police and crime commissioner.

It is all part of the government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda – about, in theory at least, devolving more power to the regions.

There’s still a lot we don’t know. But here’s what we do know so far…

Will there be a directly-elected Mayor for York and North Yorkshire?

That is likely. Both South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire already have them - though not all regions that have gone down the devolution route do: Cornwall doesn’t, for example.

However, now the issue of how local councils in the area will be structured has been decided (barring ratification by Parliament and a White Paper) discussions will begin with the government in earnest about just what sort of devolution the region will go for – and whether this will, indeed, involved a directly-elected Mayor.

“This process in North Yorkshire could create governance arrangements which could support devolution via a Mayoral Combined Authority; and now that a decision has been reached on the unitary proposals, we can now engage in further devolution discussions with the area,” said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

North Yorkshire County Council is swallowing up district councils to create a new 'super authority' - but York will remain independent. Both councils, however, may have to work with a new Mayor for all of York and North Yorkshire

What powers would a directly-elected Mayor have?

That would depend on what was negotiated with Whitehall. Different regions have different powers, points out York Central MP Rachael Maskell. She says powers should NOT be taken away from the city council and local communities and given to a new executive Mayor, however: she wants the council to remain responsible for most of the things it does now. The region’s directly-elected executive Mayor should, instead, provide strategic oversight over things like region-wide sustainable transport infrastructure, she says.

York Outer MP Julian Sturdy agrees that each mayoral deal is slightly different. “But in general terms the Mayor’s job is to focus on wider issues that span beyond individual local authority boundaries,” he said.

Why not a Mayor for the whole of Yorkshire?

At the start of the process of regional devolution, a strong case was made for the whole of Yorkshire having a single Mayor to speak on its behalf. That hasn’t happened.

“The idea for a Mayor of Yorkshire was first proposed when devolution was only really known in terms of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so proposals for devolution in England focussed on larger regional boundaries,” Mr Sturdy explained. “Since then, the focus has shifted to more local devolution. The idea of a Mayor of Yorkshire was officially put to bed when a Mayor of South Yorkshire was first elected in 2018 followed by a Mayor of West Yorkshire this year.”

Ms Maskell stressed, however, that while there may not be a single Mayor of Yorkshire, it will be vital that the different parts of the region work together. “Yorkshire is a powerful global brand,” she said.

How might York council and a North Yorkshire Mayor work together?

The responsibilities of the Mayor and local councils would be distinct. The councils (York and North Yorkshire) would, by and large, continue to do the things councils have always done - social services, education, bins, etc. But the leaders of York and North Yorkshire councils would also have a vote on key strategic issues being decided by the regional Mayor, and will represent their council area.

What would happen to the Lord Mayor of York?

Nothing. The role of Lord Mayor of York will continue unchanged

The historic role of the Lord Mayor of York will not be affected by the changes

When could we get a directly-elected North Yorkshire Mayor?

The exact timetable would be up to central government. But legislative changes would need to be brought in, so it is unlikely to happen before 2023 at the earliest, says Rachael Maskell.

However, once Parliament has ratified the proposals for local devolution announced on Wednesday night, negotiations will at least now be able to begin on a ‘tailored devolution deal for North Yorkshire’, says Julian Sturdy.

When would the election for a North Yorkshire Mayor be held?

The elections for the new North Yorkshire unitary council (formed by the county council swallowing up all the district councils) will be held in May 2022. However, what council will not be in place until 2023. It will be a shadow authority until then. A combined authority would then have to be formed, with City of York Council and the new North Yorkshire Council as constituent members. Only then could there be a Mayoral election.

Will ‘devolution’ give York and North Yorkshire more clout?

Potentially, yes, says Julian Sturdy. “Devolution offers the potential for investment, jobs and an economic boost across the region.” However, he admits, the effectiveness of the role will depend large on who is elected. “A lot of the success of devolution hinges on the ability of the Mayor,” he said. “Some Mayors have performed better than others.”

Rachael Maskell believes devolution would also offer the possibility at least of more local decision-making - something she says Labour is keen on. “However, I do not believe in the politics of governance in isolation, but governing with the community, and we would want to see any Mayor engaged with the communities of North Yorkshire, receiving their collective consent,” she said

What funding would we be able to tap into after devolution?

A North Yorkshire Mayor could have a significant annual budget. The West Yorkshire Mayor oversees an annual £38 million budget while the South Yorkshire Mayor has £30 million per year. After the initial devolution deal is signed, there would also be additional funding pots that could be applied for. York and North Yorkshire councils have asked for £2.5bn of ‘levelling up’ funding across the region. That doesn’t mean the government will be willing to give that much, however - that remains to be negotiated.