Tag Archives: regional mayors

Many Liberal Democrats feel an instinctive unease when confronted with the idea of directly-elected regional mayors. This hesitation is understandable. These roles concentrate a significant degree of executive authority in a single individual, while the combined authorities designed to support and scrutinise them often lack the strength and visibility of more established democratic institutions. Concerns about accountability, checks and balances, and the potential for over-centralisation at a regional level are therefore entirely legitimate.

However, focusing solely on these risks carries the separate risk of overlooking the substantial benefits that regional mayors can bring. While the model is not without its flaws, directly-elected mayors have repeatedly demonstrated their capacity to act as visible, accountable leaders who can champion their regions, drive economic development, and unlock improvements in public services. At their best, they provide a clear point of leadership that can cut through bureaucratic inertia, coordinate policy across transport, housing, skills, and infrastructure, and advocate effectively for investment and attention from central government.

Viewed through this more optimistic lens, it is to my mind clear that the Liberal Democrats should reconsider their cautious stance.

Rather than resisting the model that is being implemented outright, we should engage with it pragmatically and strategically. That means identifying opportunities to win mayoral contests such as Cumbria, Hull, Cambridgeshire, Surrey, Hampshire and more. Then using those platforms to demonstrate how liberal values such as community empowerment, transparency, sustainability, and inclusive growth can be delivered at scale. Success at a regional level can, in turn, strengthen our influence nationally.