‘A damaged system has held again cities and cities for too lengthy – it doesn’t should be like this’

Andy Burnham’s close ally and First Secretary of State, Louise Haigh, writes for The Mirror as the PM unveils plans to give mayors a slice of their area’s income tax

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The days of Westminster hoarding power are over. When Andy Burnham stood on the steps of Downing Street last week, he promised that this Government would put communities back in the driving seat – and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.

For forty years, more and more decisions about the future of our towns and cities have been taken behind closed doors in Whitehall. People living hundreds of miles away choosing where and how money is spent, but with no real understanding of the challenges facing the people who live there.

It’s a broken system that has held back too many places for far too long. It’s drained power and investment away from our communities, hollowed out our high streets and left our young people struggling to find decent jobs.

But it doesn’t have to be like this.

When the Prime Minister launched No.10 North in Manchester last week he promised to rewire the country, drive good growth in every postcode and put local people back in control of their own futures. Today, we’re kickstarting that change with the biggest transfer of power and resource in a generation.

No two towns or cities are the same, so every local leader should have the flexibility they need to help their communities flourish. From employment to housing, transport to infrastructure – we are reshaping how decisions are made so that places have the powers they need to improve public services, encourage local investment and deliver real benefits for the people living there.

Instead of Westminster calling the shots, local leaders will have far more control over how money raised locally is spent. This gives each area the opportunity to channel investment into the areas that matter most to them. Whether improving local bus services or building new council homes – communities will have more powers to decide their priorities and more control over how they spend their money.

The changes we’re announcing today will also give mayors and local councils new powers to combine education, employment and health support, making it easier to help young people into work. By partnering with local businesses and employers, we can make sure they have the skills and training they need to take up the jobs and apprenticeships available in their local area.

This is what it means to rewire Britain and put people back in control. Over the coming weeks and months, we’ll be working closely with Mayors and council leaders to make sure they have the powers to solve local problems and seize local opportunities.

This is how we start putting people back in the driving seat, create new jobs and apprenticeships for our young people and get our high streets thriving again. It’s how we drive good growth in every postcode and get the country back on the right path.