Sheffield City Region: Elected mayor in 2017 after devolution deal signed
Chancellor George Osborne has signed an agreement with political leaders in South Yorkshire paving the way for an elected mayor for the region.
The Sheffield City Region was one of 38 places to bid for increased control in how public money is spent in its area.
The deal – part of the government’s northern powerhouse programme – will require the support of local councils and be subject to public consultation.
As part of the deal, a Sheffield City Region mayor will be elected in 2017.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-34414584
DEVOLUTION: Who should be our elected mayor?
Sheffield City Region is set to receive £900m over the next 30 years and a swathe of new powers in return for a mayor – but who should it be?
From 2017 the city region will vote for a directly-elected leader who will oversee a range of powers and funds including transport budgets, planning, business support and adult skills.
VIDEO: ‘No need’ for referendum over new elected mayor in Sheffield devolution – says Chancellor
Chancellor George Osborne said there was ‘no need’ for a referendum on a new elected mayor for Sheffield city region after a historic £900m devolution deal was grasped today.
He spoke of putting ‘the power in the Northern Powerhouse’ and it being ‘the moment when local people get a much bigger say over how this area is run and the decisions that affect their lives’.
Rotherham Politics 
Yet another classic cock-up – Rotherham to be dictated to by a ‘Sheffield’ mayor, well that’s another area of the north that Gosborne has washed his hands of.
Still, it could be worse, we could have an ‘elected’ Police Commissioner, oh, er, mmm.
Still, it could be even worse, we could have non-elected government appointed hangers-on running the place, oh!, er!, just a minute, hmmm, well never mind.
No, doubt there’ll be first class travel for the mayoral coterie swanning around the globe ‘promoting’ us all.
Plus ca ch……………
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One Star reader has summed up the sell-out nicely:
So the Labour Party sells its soul for money, shows contempt for the citizens that rejected an elected Executive Lord Mayor, and wants to create a regional Labour Caliphate.
Is this what Labour and the tories think is devolution?
The tories abuse their power to effectively bribe and blackmail Labour into imposing tory policy, and Labour meekly surrender.
If £900 million is needed for the area, it should be provided, not used as a weapon to force through a rejected proposal.
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The 2 previous commenters (Trambuster and Yup) may have missed the point of it all:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-34414584
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A vacancy exists for failed Labour Parliamentary hopeless hopefuls to (mis)manage masses of our money and create a new nexus of crony ism. People of ability and of candour and honesty need not apply.
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The brains behind an Elected Crime Commisioner – and that went well, didn’t it – now offer us an Elected Mayor. I despair.
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The government strategy on this is very very obvious – let them eat cake and then when they want some more, it’ll be a case of get stuffed, we in the south east are alright Jack.
This will most definitely not be a renaissance, £30m a year for the next 30 years – zippity doo dah what treasures shall come our way. We are being bought off and those making the decisions will be long since forgotten in 29 years time
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Do a calculation. Income tax yield in this area. Vat yield, plus all other taxes and licenses and rates and precepts etc. Then see how much will be devolved as a percent of total take. I expect it to be less than 1% to spend locally.
Then look at possible devolution of the national debt that could be devolved and the interest charges on the debt especially if bank rate is ever increased (sleigh of hand there but I suspect it is in hand).
Then remember the old saying never accept gifts from Greeks.
This all has the smell of a Trojan Horse to me.
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When did the electorate of Rotherham give Labour the mandate to agree this deal without any consultation or a referendum sounds like the the Green Belt Local plan dictated to us
Then they say they are listening and have changed no change still run by not fit for purpos labour group same old same old
Reminds me of the Sandy Shaw Song Puppit on a string ???
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