England’s mayors to be boosted with ‘more money and more power’ in Budget

England’s mayors to be boosted with ‘more money and more power’ in Budget The plans, which will be formally announced in John Healey's Budget on Wednesday, will give local officials more flexibility and authority to make investment decisions Mayors and regional leaders are to be handed more money and more powers to help transform communities. The plans, which will be formally announced in Wednesday’s Budget, will give local officials more flexibility and authority to make investment decisions. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, a former Greater Manchester Mayor, claimed the move would stop local leaders having to go “cap in hand” to Westminster for investment. The Government has allocated an initial £285million next year, with the move intended to end the reliance on different bidding pots managed from Whitehall. To see more of the stories you value from The Mirror and to find them easily in Google then make us your preferred source. Free and easy-to-do, just click on the link here to find more from The Mirror at the top of your feed. The PM said: “I’m calling time on local leaders going cap in hand to Westminster. That is no way to run a country. “When I became Prime Minister, I said that if a decision can be made closer to home, it should be.” Areas without a strategic authority status won’t be left behind, with the Treasury saying they can access a share of the money to support them in the “transitional period”. The Government will also work with mayors to design a new £1.5billion borrowing facility from 2028, giving them greater access to capital to invest in projects. Chancellor John Healey said the plan would make the most of “untapped and wasted” potential in English cities and regions. He said: “Every community in Britain has potential – for too many it has gone untapped and wasted while money and power has been held in Westminster. “Mayors and local leaders know what their communities need to grow, which is why we are giving them more money, more power and more capacity to get projects moving, build homes and make the right decisions for their areas.” Strategic authorities will also get £150 million of funding next year to build their capability to take on the new powers and manage complex projects and investment programmes. Claire Ward, chairwoman of the UK Mayors Network and Labour's East Midlands mayor said: “Having the right powers and resources through increased devolution will help us to turn our ambitious plans into reality and deliver real, lasting change for our communities. “I welcome this commitment from Government and will continue to push for the tools we need to help our regions to thrive.” Labour’s London Mayor Lord Sadiq Khan said the greater ability to invest could “help unlock" projects including the West London Orbital route, the extension of the Bakerloo underground line and Docklands Light Railway and the development of Stratford International station.