POLITICAL heavyweights are calling for devolution after the chancellor announced a “revolution” in the way England is governed.

Senior councillors across Brighton and Hove, Worthing and Adur are calling for more powers to be sent down from central government to help the region flourish.

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne used his first speech of the new parliament to declare his plans for new legislation to help other regions rival London economically and politically.

There are currently no plans for the Greater Brighton City Region to be given these devolved powers but political figures have said they will “look carefully” at rallying for them.

Councillor Warren Morgan, leader-elect of the new Labour Brighton and Hove City Council, said he was “hugely disappointed” that the city region is not expected to be considered but said it is something he will be campaigning for.

He said: “With massive cuts to our funding by Government, they should give Brighton and Hove the same powers to retain business rates and devolve large sums of Whitehall department funding as they are to other cities.

“If I am elected leader of the council next Thursday I will work to secure as much funding for the city and our region from government at Westminster and from Europe as I possibly can.”

Devolution for the Greater Brighton City Region has already been discussed on the Greater Brighton Economic Board, which is made up of leading political figures from the region.

Jason Kitcat, former leader of the economic board, who stood down as Brighton and Hove City Council leader, warned party manifestos were “woefully short” of the devolution the region needs.

The chancellor’s model of devolution would see regions given an elected mayor.

Powers related to policy decisions, such as transport and health, would not be bound by central government – giving regions more economic autonomy.

Councillor Daniel Humphreys, leader of Worthing Borough Council, said he supports devolution in principle.

He said: “I would say the devil is in the detail and it all depends on what is being devolved. But I see no reason why not for the Greater Brighton area.

“We have a region which is economically linked and we in Worthing agree in principle with greater powers, decision making and economic control.

“But it all depends on what is being offered and what the conditions were. Right across local government we all feel for far too long there has been far too much centralisation of power and we want the opportunity.

“We have had conversations about it at the Greater Brighton Economic Board and at our last meeting we said let’s have a chat after the election.”

Councillor Neil Parkin, leader of Adur Distrct Council, said: “Any devolution from Whitehall to town hall or city region is to be welcomed.

“We know what needs to be done locally far better than civil servants 60 miles away. I am hoping with the new administration in Brighton and Hove we may be able to pursue the growth agenda with more vigour.”

On a visit to Brighton during the election campaign former shadow-chancellor Ed Balls told The Argus there was no reason why the region should be left out of devolution plans.

He warned the decision to grant more powers to a selection of councils is short changing the area, and called it “unfair”.

Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, leader of the Conservative opposition in Brighton and Hove, said: “I am already on record saying I am very much in favour of additional powers being sent down from on high to do with things like housing, skills and transport.

“I am very much in favour of that but it is something all councils would have to agree with.

“I would have thought this is something we will be looking at carefully but obviously the Government has to respond and it’s up to us to make the case.

“The authorities already are working together and these are big issues – together the total is worth more than the individual parts.”

 

George Osborne announces 'revolution' in governing powers

 

Analysis – Devolution should be a no-brainer for everyone

Finn Scott-Delany

POLITICS is a deeply divisive game where small ideological differences are pored over in all their minutiae.

Yet one thing that currently unites politicians of wildly opposing stripes is devolution.

For councillors, the idea of securing greater power for their regions is a no-brainer – appealing both to voters and their own self-worth in feeling they are making a difference.

And the prospect of keeping money raised to be used in our own area appeals too.

Yet it goes far deeper than that, going right to the heart of how we see ourselves and our communities.

Westminster politics has become increasingly remote and a turn-off for voters, as we saw by the disinterest in the stage-managed general election campaign.

So the chance to have a genuine say and influence on regional matters could be just the shot in the arm democracy needs.

Having a direct say on which bit of our taxes is spent on exactly which project takes politics from the abstract into the tangible, and can only embody a greater sense of democratic responsibility and better decision making.

Devolution is a conversation that has ebbed and flowed over the years, and has not always been popular outright.

Brighton and Hove residents rejected the chance to have a directly-elected mayor in a referendum in 2001.

Yet devolution is very much the prevailing direction of travel.

In 2011 Local Enterprise Partnerships were established, with our own Coast to Capital project successfully winning hundreds of millions of pounds in grants for transport projects, training centres and housing developments.

Last year we saw the signing of the Greater Brighton City Deal, a historic agreement between neighbouring councils which saw millions pledged towards shared goals.

And the Scottish referendum revived the debate over whether regional authorities should be handed greater powers of self governance.

Those involved with the Greater Brighton City Region project will not have been surprised that George Osborne did not name-check Brighton in his announcement.

Greater Manchester will be the guinea pig for this devolution project with other northern city areas likely to come ahead of Brighton.

Yet with the unprecedented level of organisation and collaboration in our own city region across boundaries and political differences, it is surely only a matter of time before more powers are handed over.