Historic devolution deal legislation laid in Parliament

Passage through the Houses of Parliament is the long-awaited final hurdle in a years-long negotiation process over the historic devolution deal for Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, and County Durham.

Once formally approved, the stage will be set for an election on May 2 for the first ever mayor of the North East.

That figurehead will head a combined authority boasting a raft of new funding and decision-making powers over critical issues like housing and transport, including the ability to take public control over the region’s buses.

Levelling Up minister Jacob Young said putting the deal to Parliament was “an important milestone for communities across the North East as their landmark devolution deal moves one step closer to becoming a reality”.

He added: “The reason we’re so excited for this to get over the line is because a major part of levelling up is giving local people, who know their areas best, the levers and money they need to improve their areas. That’s exactly what this deal does – from Sedgefield to the Scottish Border – providing new decision-making powers, billions in funding and a new mayor who can champion their area on behalf of the two million who live there.”

More than £6 billion worth of funding has already been announced for the 30-year deal, including a £1.4 billion mayoral investment fund and more than £2 billion to be spent on improving transport infrastructure.

Six candidates have already thrown their hats into the ring for the mayoral election – the sitting independent North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll, Labour’s Kim McGuinness, Conservative Guy Renner-Thompson, Liberal Democrat Aidan King, the Green Party’s Andrew Gray, and Reform UK’s Paul Donaghy.

The political leaders of the seven councils and the NTCA said in a joint statement: “It‘s exciting that the devolution deal we secured is now moving through Parliament. It’s an important final step before the formation of our new combined authority.

“The new powers and funding we negotiated will mean important decisions about our region will be made here, in the North East. This is set to be a transformative year for the North East.”