Andy Burnham will receive more control over local government funding under plans unveiled in today’s budget.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the Greater Manchester mayor will become one of the first in the country to gain integrated settlements which will give these areas “meaningful control of the funding” and how it is allocated.
Due to this increased control, Burnham and West Midlands mayor Richard Parker will also be under increased Parliamentary scrutiny regarding local government spending.
Greater Manchester became a mayoral authority in 2011 where it gained more regional autonomy over local government decisions.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe chancellor added in the budget that transport will be upgraded in Manchester, upgrading trans-Pennines connections with York, Leeds and Huddersfield. She also announced “fully electric local and regional services between Manchester and Stalybridge by the end of this year”.
Manchester Victoria railway station will additionally undergo capacity improvements, and the Bolton-Wigan line will be fully electrified, she said.
These updates were announced after Burnham accused Northern train services of “ruining people’s lives” and argued that north-western rail is “the worst in the country”.
Our live Budget reporting can be found here.
Feature image: Andy Burnham on BBC Breakfast.
