The region’s combined authority is facing fresh criticism after another board meeting was cancelled this week. Meanwhile, local leaders have written to the government to raise concerns about the direction and vision of the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority (HEYCA).
A scheduled meeting of the HEYCA Executive board was due to be held on Friday, but has now been cancelled. It is evidence of poor governance from the authority and risks ‘stagnation and delay’, according to one senior figure.
Leo Hammond, the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside, shared his current frustration and is demanding more democratic oversight. “I continue to have serious concerns about the governance of HEYCA and the cancellation of this board meeting and the unilateral decision by officers for them to make decisions adds to this,” he said.
Cllr Hammond, who is part of the HEYCA Executive Board as a non-voting member, added: “I have written to the authority raising my concerns that I can see no reason for this meeting to be cancelled and no reason why decisions on the future of this region should be made with no democratic oversight. Yet more stagnation and delays – our region deserves so much better.”
Occasional cancelled meetings do not change the decision-making responsibilities of the Mayor or Executive Board, nor does it remove democratic oversight, transparency or accountability, a HEYCA spokesperson said.
“The meeting scheduled for Friday 30 October was an additional meeting of the Executive Board, which the Authority’s statutory officers requested be cancelled following a review of the business due for consideration,” he explained.
“Where decisions can properly be taken under existing officer delegations, they will proceed in accordance with the Combined Authority’s Constitution and the relevant governance and scrutiny arrangements. Any matters requiring Executive Board approval will be brought forward to its next scheduled meeting on Friday 27 November.”
Local leaders share concerns with government
Earlier in October, four senior council figures from around the region wrote a strongly-worded letter to Jim McMahon, the Minister for Local Government, Devolution and Regional Growth.
The letter was signed by Cllr Mike Ross (leader of Hull City Council), Cllr Anne Handley (Leader of East Riding Of Yorkshire Council), Cllr Jackie Dad (Deputy Leader of Hull City Council), and Cllr Jonathan Owen (Deputy Leader of East Riding Of Yorkshire Council). All four local politicians also serve as HEYCA board members.
“As leaders of the constituent councils, we recognise that the process of establishing the Combined Authority is not a quick or easy one and requires considerable effort to get over the line. This is both in terms of putting together the officer resources and setting out the direction of the region under the Mayor’s vision,” the letter stated.
“In recent months there have been increasing cause for concern with the direction and leadership of the authority. Recruitment to key roles has been problematic and there is little clear evidence of a vision for the region under the organisation,” it continues.
“In addition to these concerns, the Police and Crime Commissioner and his deputy have written to the Prime Minister raising their own serious concerns about the progress of the organisation. In light of the concerns that have been raised and the ones we hold, we are writing to request a meeting with yourself as soon as possible.
“We want to see devolution succeed in this region, but are understandably concerned that this is not going to happen on the current course.”
‘The people of Hull and East Yorkshire elected me’ Mayor Campbell states
The letter to government has frustrated Mr Campbell who has accused the HEYCA board members of ‘political point-scoring’.
“I do question whether some people have ever really accepted the result of the election,” he said. “Both Anne and Mike wanted to be Mayor. They stood against me, the public had their say and they made their choice. I didn’t appoint myself to this job. The people of Hull and East Yorkshire elected me, and I take that responsibility seriously.”
Mr Campbell added: “What frustrates me is that they both fought for devolution, yet now we’ve got it, they seem more interested in criticising the Combined Authority than working together to make it a success.”
The HEYCA team have been criticised for a series of serious recruitment issues – including an ongoing challenge of finding a permanent chief executive and no deputy mayor being appointed. Mr Campbell said he has offered both Cllr Ross and Cllr Handley the deputy role – which they have turned down.
“That’s their choice, but I don’t think anyone can question my willingness to work together,” he said. “They’re not spectators. They’re part of its leadership. Anne has the investment portfolio, Mike has skills, and both sit around the Board table making decisions alongside me. So when they question the direction of the organisation or what’s been achieved, I think it’s only fair to ask what they’ve contributed in their own areas.”
The Mayor made clear the success of HEYCA is a ‘collective responsibility’. He added: “We all have a part to play, and we all share responsibility for delivering. That includes Anne and Mike. Sometimes it feels as though they’d rather be the ones in charge than work with the person the public elected.
“We have a gameplan and a Local Growth Plan, developed with the involvement of both councils. Nobody is pretending we’ve achieved everything overnight, but to suggest there’s no vision simply doesn’t reflect the work that’s been done. I’ve got absolutely no problem with being challenged or held to account. But there’s a difference between proper scrutiny and political point-scoring. You can’t champion devolution, help shape its decisions and then distance yourself from the organisation when it suits you.
“My door remains open to Anne and Mike, as it always has. They don’t have to like me, and we won’t always agree. But we have a responsibility to the people we represent, and that has to come before politics. I wasn’t elected to keep other politicians happy. I was elected to stand up for Hull and East Yorkshire, and that’s exactly what I’ll carry on doing.”
A crucial moment for regional devolution – ‘Good Growth’ funding announced
The local friction comes at a crucial moment for regional devolution. Ahead of this week’s Budget, the government announced it will provide local leaders (such as Mayor Luke Campbell) with a slice of a further £285-million funding pot to introduce Good Growth around the country.
The new funding will give mayors and local leaders more money, more powers, and more control, letting them invest in their priorities without seeking permission from Whitehall.
The funding could be used to bring the local high street back to life, improve essential transport links, or build new homes where they are needed. The government has also confirmed that it is working with mayors to design a £1.5-billion borrowing facility from 2028, giving access to capital needed to back their local priorities and deliver ‘growth in every postcode’.
The initiative should encourage mayors to be more dynamic, explained Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner. She said: “We’re putting a stop to mayors and local leaders being forced to come to Westminster cap in hand, asking for the power and funding that should rightfully be theirs.
“We’re backing our leaders to deliver what their communities need, from much-needed housing developments, stronger and better transport links, and the regeneration of the places people care so much about. That is what our devolution revolution really means – real decisions made locally, backed by real money, so every town and city can shape its own future.”
By: Paul Drury-Bradey, LDRS
