Stop putting obstacles in way of new powers, Wolverhampton MP says

Emma Reynolds, MP for Wolverhampton North East, said George Osborne and Lord Heseltine had sent mixed messages about how a combined authority joining Birmingham and the Black Country would work.

The Chancellor and Lord Heseltine have stressed it will be up to councils to come up with their proposals for new powers over funding, skills, regeneration, investment and health.

But they are also insistent there be either a directly elected 'metro mayor' or something similar.

Lord Heseltine told businesses in Birmingham on Friday 'the Chancellor won't do a deal that does not involve a directly elected mayor'.

He urged the West Midlands to get moving and warned Greater Manchester has already taken the lead on a combined authority with a proposal for what powers it wants to take over from Whitehall.

Miss Reynolds said: "The government should not put obstacles in the way of further devolution.

"What is happening in Manchester may work there but it is not a case of one size fits all."

The Black Country's four councils - Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Dudley and Walsall - have agreed to set up a combined authority with Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull.

District councils including Cannock Chase, Lichfield and Wyre Forest are also being approached about joining.

It is set to be called the West Midlands Combined Authority after council leaders said they did not want the name to be Greater Birmingham and that they wanted a name that reflected the whole region.

Lord Heseltine stressed that whatever form it takes, the idea has to come from the West Midlands.

But while David Cameron and Mr Osborne have said they are open to discussions, the directly elected mayor appears to be a red line.

Lord Heseltine said the government would want safeguards if things go wrong.

"They are taking a risk with the devolution process. There is a concern that if they don't have their hands on the levers of power, others will make a mess of it and we will be responsible. If anything goes wrong, the blame goes to central government and you see it in the swing in local elections."

He said there needed to be someone the public could hold accountable and that 'all over the world' there were directly elected mayors.

But he acknowledged that 'for local leaders that is a big stumbling block'.