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| Labour's Tony Lloyd announces Greater Manchester mayoral bid | Labour's Tony Lloyd announces Greater Manchester mayoral bid |
| (7 months later) | |
| Greater Manchester needs a figurehead to match Boris Johnson in London and Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland, the Labour politician Tony Lloyd has said, announcing his bid to be the region’s first elected mayor. | Greater Manchester needs a figurehead to match Boris Johnson in London and Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland, the Labour politician Tony Lloyd has said, announcing his bid to be the region’s first elected mayor. |
| The Greater Manchester combined authority – an area of nearly 3 million people – will elect a mayor as part of its devolution deal in May 2017. Lloyd, the region’s police and crime commissioner and a former MP for Manchester Central, has been serving as the interim mayor since June 2015. | The Greater Manchester combined authority – an area of nearly 3 million people – will elect a mayor as part of its devolution deal in May 2017. Lloyd, the region’s police and crime commissioner and a former MP for Manchester Central, has been serving as the interim mayor since June 2015. |
| Lloyd is the first person to announce an intention to run as mayor of any of the new regional conglomerates to have emerged from George Osborne’s drive to devolve power from Westminster. | Lloyd is the first person to announce an intention to run as mayor of any of the new regional conglomerates to have emerged from George Osborne’s drive to devolve power from Westminster. |
| Launching his bid to become Labour’s candidate in the race on Thursday, Lloyd said: “Nobody doubts who the mayor of London is; nobody doubts who speaks for Scotland, the first minister. But we lack that voice at the moment to say that we also have legitimate demands and legitimate needs.” | Launching his bid to become Labour’s candidate in the race on Thursday, Lloyd said: “Nobody doubts who the mayor of London is; nobody doubts who speaks for Scotland, the first minister. But we lack that voice at the moment to say that we also have legitimate demands and legitimate needs.” |
| Lloyd is the narrow favourite to win the mayoralty, with betting odds at 3-1, just ahead of the leader of Manchester city council, Sir Richard Leese, who is 4-1. Odds on the film director Danny Boyle becoming the mayor are currently 25-1, with the Bolton-born actor Maxine Peake 50-1. | Lloyd is the narrow favourite to win the mayoralty, with betting odds at 3-1, just ahead of the leader of Manchester city council, Sir Richard Leese, who is 4-1. Odds on the film director Danny Boyle becoming the mayor are currently 25-1, with the Bolton-born actor Maxine Peake 50-1. |
| Lloyd, 65, who was first elected as an MP in 1983, said his intention was to work with central government as partners, rather than treating it as “some kind of feudal overlord”. He said he was itching to be given the electoral mandate to speak on behalf of the people of Greater Manchester. | Lloyd, 65, who was first elected as an MP in 1983, said his intention was to work with central government as partners, rather than treating it as “some kind of feudal overlord”. He said he was itching to be given the electoral mandate to speak on behalf of the people of Greater Manchester. |
| “London, by its nature, is massively important for all of us,” said Lloyd. “It is the economic powerhouse for the nation and I’m not trying to pretend that we see London as a competitor. That would be nonsense. | “London, by its nature, is massively important for all of us,” said Lloyd. “It is the economic powerhouse for the nation and I’m not trying to pretend that we see London as a competitor. That would be nonsense. |
| “But having the same legitimacy of voice is important. And we will seek, as time goes by, stronger powers of devolution. In fact, we have more powers than London has got under the current devolution agreement, which is probably not properly understood by the people of Greater Manchester.” | “But having the same legitimacy of voice is important. And we will seek, as time goes by, stronger powers of devolution. In fact, we have more powers than London has got under the current devolution agreement, which is probably not properly understood by the people of Greater Manchester.” |
| George Osborne’s “northern powerhouse” project aims to boost economic growth in the north of England – particularly in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle – partly by devolving political power to new regional combined authorities overseen by an elected mayor. | George Osborne’s “northern powerhouse” project aims to boost economic growth in the north of England – particularly in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle – partly by devolving political power to new regional combined authorities overseen by an elected mayor. |
| Lloyd said he was sure that some in Westminster would use devolution to offload the blame for public spending cuts on to new mayors, but said it made it even more important that the city had a voice. | Lloyd said he was sure that some in Westminster would use devolution to offload the blame for public spending cuts on to new mayors, but said it made it even more important that the city had a voice. |
| “That’s actually why we’ve got to make sure that devolution is owned by the people of Greater Manchester,” he said. “Not something that central government has been kind enough to grant to us.” | “That’s actually why we’ve got to make sure that devolution is owned by the people of Greater Manchester,” he said. “Not something that central government has been kind enough to grant to us.” |
| Although Lloyd is the only person to have declared their candidacy so far, it is thought that Ivan Lewis, MP for Bury South, who was sacked from the shadow cabinet after Jeremy Corbyn became Labour leader, is in the running. | Although Lloyd is the only person to have declared their candidacy so far, it is thought that Ivan Lewis, MP for Bury South, who was sacked from the shadow cabinet after Jeremy Corbyn became Labour leader, is in the running. |
| Leese, the long-serving city council leader who has an uneasy relationship with Lloyd, has not yet officially ruled himself out of a mayoral bid, though he has never expressed particular enthusiasm for the idea. Leese voted against Lloyd when he was seeking to become interim mayor. | Leese, the long-serving city council leader who has an uneasy relationship with Lloyd, has not yet officially ruled himself out of a mayoral bid, though he has never expressed particular enthusiasm for the idea. Leese voted against Lloyd when he was seeking to become interim mayor. |