The 'Trailblazer' devolution deal is expected to be signed soon
The starting gun was fired last February. For the first time since Boris Johnson led the Conservatives to a decisive victory at the polls, the government set out how it plans to deliver its 'defining mission' – Levelling Up the United Kingdom.
The Labour mayor has also called for more streamlined funding, suggesting a single block grant similar to the financial arrangements in Scotland and Wales. But more than a year after the Levelling Up White Paper was published, the Trailblazer talks - which were set to signed by 'early 2023' - are still ongoing.
Mr Burnham has been full of praise for the Conservative minister. Earlier this year at a major regional convention in Manchester, the Tory MP joked that the pair agreed on so much that it could be 'fatal' for the Labour mayor's career. Insiders are optimistic that Greater Manchester will get much of what it wants from these negotiations, but officials have remained tight-lipped throughout. Time is ticking though, with less than two months left until the local elections which come with a ban on big political announcements in the weeks before it.
Setting out his demands in a speech in London last summer, Mr Burnham told the Royal Society for Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce that investors always want to know how much influence he has over the local labour market. The Department for Education currently controls the funding for post-16 training courses – including T Levels, which one source says Mr Burnham is 'obsessed' with. This new type of qualification - an alternative to A levels and apprenticeships - is created with businesses who influence the skills learnt.
Local leaders have said that giving Greater Manchester more control over the skills in the labour market - which has been a long-standing ask that predates Mr Burnham's time as mayor - could be the biggest triumph from these talks. But first, they must convince government officials to hand over more powers.
"There is an argument that if everything exists within an overall centralised system, it's easier to shift resource to those poorer areas. I think that is wrong, but nevertheless I can understand that that concern comes from a place that is motivated by the right values, not the wrong values." Bus fares were slashed and standardised last September using government funding, one year ahead of the first franchised services being rolled out in Bolton and Wigan. Under the new system, operators will bid for contracts to run routes controlled by local leaders – and all buses will be emissions-free.
Railway stations were part of previous devolution deals, but the government decided not to hand over the power to Greater Manchester in the end. Since then, the North of England has battled issues with train timetables and unreliable rail services which have struggled to recover since the pandemic. Housing In Greater Manchester, it is estimated that around 40 pc of privately rented homes are not kept up to a decent standard, according to Mr Burnham. He wants local authorities to have the power to withhold housing benefits from rogue landlords who fail - or refuse - to keep their properties up to scratch.
Local leaders have called for the level of housing benefit paid to be increased and all councils to be given access to funding to build more affordable housing. They are hopeful that they will get some of the funding they have asked for.
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