It's a method of linking all the call centres to each other, so that DWP staff can demand that someone in Hull must accept a zero-hours, NMW job in a call centre in Rainford because they can get there 5 minutes quicker

It's a stupid idea as proposed by Osborne. For a start it imposes a Mayor who will have real power and far from making this more democratic it removes it from the council and councilors.



And what about the effects on the surrounding regions who won't have whatever extra powers GMR gets?



I am surprised Richard Lees has fallen for the ruse. He's also ignoring the electorate who rejected the idea of a London style Mayor (twice in the recent past I think).

It also takes central government one further step away from economic responsibility. Probably the main reason for the proposal

When they are lead by a man who distances himself from every controversy or difficult decision, preferring instead to have henchmen and women take the flack (step forward IDS) then its no surprise that delegating difficult budget responsibilities would be placed on another strata of fallguys/girls.



Soon we won't need a central government at all.

Would that necessarily be a bad thing?

As I understand it the NE and West Yorks have or are likely to sign up too?



It will be interesting to see how this goes. If it goes well then these areas will start to boom and finish the Labour party off for good over time?



Another scenario may be that the localities, likely in the short-term to be Labour controlled will have to raise local taxes to try to keep the health services, etc up and running. That will prove unpopular, we may see cities going bust / hospitals closing / being privatised by the nack door. In this scenario Labour also loses.



Smart politics from Osborne. But to give him the benefit of the doubt it is a potentially bold move that gives these areas a degree of autonomy to develop themselves. Gives them a chance to get out of the shackles of a Labour party that has had a vested interest in perpetuating poverty and largesse via the public sector in order to gain votes.

Leeds and Newcastle both rejected it when it was put to them a couple of years ago.

I know but I thought it was firmly back on the cards?

I've not heard anything official from within LCC, but a new Labour leader of the council has just been appointed, so maybe they'll do what the Mancs did and push it through without consulting the electorate again. Time will tell.

Come, join us, we have pies...

This is a bit different from what was rejected in the NE a few years ago, that was basically an imposed structure, but in this case the existing local authorities are the ones who get to put forward the proposals for what they want to do and how they will do it. Local authorities in England's regions are screaming out for more devolved powers so there is a genuine desire from the bottom up, also it appears that there isn't a single model being considered. I think there is a level of consensus amongst all parties at local government level that change has to happen due to demographic profiles/



As far as Conservative Party strategy goes I think it's a safe bet devolving power to the north of England in particular, Labour have lost the initiative on this and if local authorities in Labour heartlands who are asking for this balls it up then responsibility sits with them and they will (probably) be punished by the electorate.



I can see there will be local authorities who are ambitious and willing to seize the opportunities, willing to work together and be innovative, and then you'll have some which are basket cases who struggle to be anything more than charity cases. I look at the local authorities in Greater Manchester who are pushing hard and clearly have ambitions, then I think about the administration of St Helens MBC who I wouldn't trust to run my bath.

Is it me or does 'Northern Powerhouse' sound like a genre of dance music?



IMO we'd be better off forgetting about HS2 and instead concentrate on improving railways and roads linking northern towns. Having a high speed line between Liverpool and Hull would be a start. We don't need the kind of trains proposed in HS2, Pendolinos would suffice. I think this would need to be routed through St. Helens rather than Warrington or Wigan. It has shoddy rail services for such a large town.



More motorways need to be built. The M65 needs to carry on over the Pennines to Bradford/Keighley and the M67 needs to be extended to the M1 near Sheffield. This would provide 2 more cross Pennine routes to relieve the M62 which is already over used at the best of times.



Many of the current Motorways in South Lancs were designed to allow for extension, M58, M57 etc. Build more roads and the traffic situation will improve. At the moment if one of the major routes is blocked it causes problems on all other routes. I don't know what it's like in Yorkshire but I'm sure it's a similar situation.

Building bigger and better roads jusy worsens traffic jams.