Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees has joined city leaders from across England in calling for a radical shift of power from London to protect them against any negative impact of Brexit.
At an unprecedented summit of elected mayors and city leaders in Bristol earlier this week he said only cities could meet the challenges of Brexit and other global issues such as migration and climate change.
The gathering also included the elected leaders of England’s 10 largest cities – an unprecedented move that enabled the 18 civic leaders present to jointly call for the government to devolve much more spending and associated powers away from the capital.
Mayor Rees, pictured, said: “The government is like a drowning person. Cities and regions can come to the rescue but the danger is that government drags us down with them by thrashing about. Just relax, give us the space to do what we need to do.
“The UK is at a pivotal point as Brexit focuses minds on the way the country is run. As city leaders and regional mayors we are at the forefront of delivering change to our residents and know what works.
“If we are going to be more resilient economically as a country we, the cities and the regions, need more power to affect change and improve lives for our citizens. As the government moves towards its spending review we are looking to create real change in the relationship between spheres of governance in the country and call for greater fiscal devolution.”
Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester combined authority, added: “The country urgently needs to rebalance and we need a radical shift of power out of Westminster and the London-centric system we’ve got.
“Devolution is the answer to Brexit. It is crucial that government puts confidence in our regional economy so we are ready for whatever changes come from leaving the EU.
“Around the world, cities and city regions are the engine room of the modern economy. Our cities are financially limited by government and as a result we are currently punching below our wait.
“The government’s best policy now would be to get on and accelerate the power of devolution to cities outside of London so that this country can make a success of Brexit.”
At the same event West of England Metro Mayor Bowles, who leads the West of England Combined Authority which brings together Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire councils, said the government had promised to introduce a new funding stream to replace EU money worth at least £2.4bn a year to the UK once Brexit takes effect.
The metro mayors said devolving this to the regions would ensure it is spent on priorities defined by local areas. They also pushed the government to remove unnecessary layers of bureaucracy, moving from decentralisation to full devolution to cut down on red tape.
Mayor Bowles said: “Metro mayors are directly-elected by the regions they serve; we know our regions best and need additional funding, flexibility and tools to deliver for our communities. Brexit provides a real opportunity to take back control and re-think the way money flows from Whitehall to combined authorities. The benefits of devolution are being felt in the West of England and now is the time for government to move away from decentralisation in order to truly empower communities.”
The mayors’ summit coincided with the final day of the Global Parliament of Mayors gathering in Bristol where more than 80 mayors and city network leaders from six continents signed the Bristol Declaration 2018.
They had gathered in Bristol to discuss the topics of migration, urban security and health, reflecting the pressing issues of the world. The outcome of the debates led to the Bristol Declaration.
