Keir Starmer has today brought together Labour’s newly expanded team of mayors to help develop a ‘gold standard’ for growing local economies and increasing prosperity across every region.
At the first meeting with Labour’s mayors since the local elections, Keir Starmer said that boosting regional growth will be “top of the agenda” in Labour’s devolution plans. He confirmed that the next Labour manifesto will include a focus on driving regional growth and told mayors that they will be a core part of making that happen.
The meeting, held in the West Midlands, follows a successful set of local elections which saw Labour’s Andy Burnham winning a comfortable re-election to a third term as the Mayor of Greater Manchester. In addition, to retaining the Greater Manchester mayoralty, Labour also gained mayoralties in the West Midlands, North East, York & North Yorkshire and the East Midlands, and retained mayoralties, such as London, West Yorkshire and Liverpool City Region, meaning it now holds 11 of the 12 mayoralties across the country.
Keir Starmer, Labour Deputy Leader Angela Rayner and Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves convened the meeting to hear about the mayors’ plans to boost regional economic growth in their area, discuss how a Labour government could help turbocharge their efforts and work together on proposals such as Labour’s new Local Growth Plans.
The Labour leader invited the mayors to work with him ahead of a general election to help develop Labour’s proposals for 10-year Local Growth Plans, by building on the best practice already being set out by Labour Mayors across England.
Hailing the “agenda-setting” plans of regional mayors in the face of an inept Tory government, Keir Starmer said that the work already being done by Labour mayors can help set a “gold standard” for future Local Growth Plans, ensuring they can be delivered quickly by an incoming Labour government.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, has created a Greater Manchester Strategy and Local Industrial Strategy, delivered a cheaper, integrated public transport system and created a new technical education pathway – the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc).
The meeting comes as new analysis from Labour shows that Rishi Sunak and the Tories have failed to level up our regions with the average gap in GDP per person between London and other combined authorities in England averaging £29,000.
If this gap could be halved so it was closer to the gap in other comparable European economies, it would mean growth in Greater Manchester would be £13,000 higher per person, growth in the West Midlands would be £15,700 higher, and West Yorkshire would be £14,500 higher, each year.
Kier Starmer speaking ahead of the first meeting of Labour’s new mayors, said:
“These local elections showed that the British public is ready to put their trust in this changed Labour Party. We will repay that trust by delivering economic growth for everyone, everywhere in partnership with our Labour mayors.
“Our growing team of Labour mayors is already setting the agenda and delivering for local people despite a failing Tory government that is choking off our economy and hoarding power in Westminster.
“My Labour government would rebuild our economy hand in hand with local leaders. That’s why boosting growth across every region will be top of the agenda for our devolution plans. Drawing on the expertise and ideas of Labour mayors who know their communities best, we can set the ‘gold standard’ for delivering local growth.
“With our sleeves rolled up and plans already being developed before a general election, Labour will be ready from day one. We’ll turbocharge growth across our towns, cities and regions, put more money in people’s pockets and improving living standards across Britain.”
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “The country is crying out for change and Labour Mayors backed by a Labour Government could speed up the delivery that people want to see. Greater Manchester is growing faster than the UK economy and that provides proof that devolution in England is working. We are now ready to work with Keir and his team to go further and faster, delivering the jobs, homes and growth that the North needs.”
