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I'm better qualified to be mayor of Greater Manchester than Noel Gallagher, says city council leader I'm better qualified to be mayor of Greater Manchester than Noel Gallagher, says city council leader
(35 minutes later)
The long-serving leader of Manchester city council says he is considering running to be the mayor of Greater Manchester following the recent devolution settlement.The long-serving leader of Manchester city council says he is considering running to be the mayor of Greater Manchester following the recent devolution settlement.
Sir Richard Leese, credited with regenerating Manchester after the devastating IRA bomb of 1996, said he may run to be the city region’s first elected mayor in 2017.Sir Richard Leese, credited with regenerating Manchester after the devastating IRA bomb of 1996, said he may run to be the city region’s first elected mayor in 2017.
But he poured scorn on the suggestion that Greater Manchester residents would be better served by a high profile celebrity mayor, such as actor Maxine Peake, scientist Brian Cox or Noel Gallagher, who last week said he would like to be Duke of Manchester should Russell Brand’s revolution come into fruition. But he poured scorn on the suggestion that Greater Manchester residents would be better served by a high profile celebrity mayor, such as actor Maxine Peake, scientist Brian Cox or Noel Gallagher, who last week joked that he would like to be Duke of Manchester should Russell Brand’s revolution come into fruition.
“Running large local authorities actually does require some skills, believe it or not,” said Leese at the Salford International Media Festival run by the University of Salford on Tuesday.“Running large local authorities actually does require some skills, believe it or not,” said Leese at the Salford International Media Festival run by the University of Salford on Tuesday.
“I’m quite happy for Noel Gallagher to be the Duke of Manchester if that’s what he wants to be, because fortunately hereditary peers don’t have any powers, or very little nowadays. It doesn’t necessarily have to be somebody with a long political track record, but they have to be able to demonstrate those skills - and some of those skills are political, by the way, the ability to engage with other places, the ability to engage with national government.”“I’m quite happy for Noel Gallagher to be the Duke of Manchester if that’s what he wants to be, because fortunately hereditary peers don’t have any powers, or very little nowadays. It doesn’t necessarily have to be somebody with a long political track record, but they have to be able to demonstrate those skills - and some of those skills are political, by the way, the ability to engage with other places, the ability to engage with national government.”
Earlier this month Leese and the leaders of the nine other councils which make up the Greater Manchester Combined Authority agreed a devolution settlement with the chancellor, George Osborne.Earlier this month Leese and the leaders of the nine other councils which make up the Greater Manchester Combined Authority agreed a devolution settlement with the chancellor, George Osborne.
The agreement covers transport, housing, business support and skills, as well as public service reform. Osborne was adamant that an elected mayor was a non-negotiable part of the deal, despite Leese making perfectly plain Greater Manchester didn’t want one. In the end, though, pragmatism won out and the combined authority agreed that an elected mayor would replace the police and crime commissioner – currently ex Labour MP, Tony Lloyd.The agreement covers transport, housing, business support and skills, as well as public service reform. Osborne was adamant that an elected mayor was a non-negotiable part of the deal, despite Leese making perfectly plain Greater Manchester didn’t want one. In the end, though, pragmatism won out and the combined authority agreed that an elected mayor would replace the police and crime commissioner – currently ex Labour MP, Tony Lloyd.
“This will not be a London-style Mayor. It will be a Manchester-style Mayor with the elected Mayor being the eleventh member of the Combined Authority,” said Leese, delivering the Brian Redhead memorial lecture on Tuesday.“This will not be a London-style Mayor. It will be a Manchester-style Mayor with the elected Mayor being the eleventh member of the Combined Authority,” said Leese, delivering the Brian Redhead memorial lecture on Tuesday.
He insisted he hadn’t really caved into the chancellor, saying the combined authority had long agreed that a devolved city region needed a directly accountable leader. “The distinction between an elected leader and an elected mayor is so fine in reality. Mayor is simply a generic term used around the world used to describe the leader of a municipality,” said Leese at the event at Media City.He insisted he hadn’t really caved into the chancellor, saying the combined authority had long agreed that a devolved city region needed a directly accountable leader. “The distinction between an elected leader and an elected mayor is so fine in reality. Mayor is simply a generic term used around the world used to describe the leader of a municipality,” said Leese at the event at Media City.
Asked by BBC presenter Laura Kuenssberg whether the position of elected mayor had his name on it, Leese said: “If I said I hadn’t thought about it, you’d say I was a liar and you’d be right. Of course I’ve thought about it. I am thinking about it. But it’s not something I have any particular ambition to do. It’s not something that drives me,” he said, adding: “The election won’t be until 2017 and there’s an awful lot to do before then.”Asked by BBC presenter Laura Kuenssberg whether the position of elected mayor had his name on it, Leese said: “If I said I hadn’t thought about it, you’d say I was a liar and you’d be right. Of course I’ve thought about it. I am thinking about it. But it’s not something I have any particular ambition to do. It’s not something that drives me,” he said, adding: “The election won’t be until 2017 and there’s an awful lot to do before then.”
But he ruled out running to be an MP, saying: “ If you want to really look at the dynamic leaders in politics nowadays, there are more in local government than national government. The reason is we actually get more done.”But he ruled out running to be an MP, saying: “ If you want to really look at the dynamic leaders in politics nowadays, there are more in local government than national government. The reason is we actually get more done.”
He added: “I have no temptation to go into Westminster whatsoever. The idea of spending four days a week in the palace of Westminster is like dying and going to hell early, isn’t it? Being a backbench member of parliament sounds to me to be totally dreadful. Being a backbench MP in the opposition, urgh, no. I’d rather be here actually doing stuff.”He added: “I have no temptation to go into Westminster whatsoever. The idea of spending four days a week in the palace of Westminster is like dying and going to hell early, isn’t it? Being a backbench member of parliament sounds to me to be totally dreadful. Being a backbench MP in the opposition, urgh, no. I’d rather be here actually doing stuff.”