Do you know Cammy Day? Of course you do, because of his resignation as leader of Edinburgh’s council amid allegations of inappropriate messages being sent to Ukrainian refugees. But that is all he will be remembered for; that is not a slight on his political abilities or record, but on the power of his office. Frankly, if he hadn’t transgressed, the vast majority of Scotland would never have heard of him, just like they’ll never know the name of his replacement as council leader.
He was the leader of Scotland’s capital and most economically important city. However, we are far more likely to know which politician leads Manchester or Birmingham or London, the economic powerhouses of the north, middle and south of England, than our own. This is, of course, because they are mayors.
Labour has had a horrifying time in government so far. But this week, in amongst the fog of WASPIs and the lingering gloom of National Insurance, taxes on farmers and winter fuel payments, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner released a white paper to complete the reorganisation of local and regional government which was started under Tony Blair and continued under David Cameron.
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It could be the most transformational act of this government’s term in office. In addition to creating larger and more powerful councils, the English map is going to continue to be filled in with directly elected mayors. The impact of this devolutionary programme is already clear.
All of the fastest growing cities in the UK are in England. Manchester, the fastest growing of them all, focussing on innovation and technology and attracting high worth people and businesses, also has the........