Burnham Backs a Mayor for Wessex by 2028
Asked by the Liberal Democrat MP Edward Morello whether he would commit to a mayor of Wessex by 2028, the prime minister said he would, adding that he was “always happy to create more mayors”. He said he wanted full devolution for the south-west of England.
Mr Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, has made devolution a signature theme. He told MPs that Cornish MPs had visited No 10 this week to discuss a devolution deal. James Cleverly used his question to contrast police numbers in Manchester and London; Mr Burnham replied that Sadiq Khan had been constrained by a lack of support under the Conservatives. A Wessex mayoralty would extend combined-authority government deep into traditionally Conservative and Liberal Democrat territory.