What is a metro mayor?

Metro mayors are directly-elected regional leaders who chair combined authorities (groups of local councils) to which specified functions and budgets have been devolved from Whitehall. ⁴⁰ Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities, Levelling Up the United Kingdom, Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities, 2022, p.137, www.gov.uk/government/publications/levelling-up-the-united-kingdom.  

The specifics of these powers vary from place to place but typically include cover aspects of transport, skills, housing, and local infrastructure investment, and in some cases spatial planning, policing, health and employment support. 

Mayors are intended to provide “strong local leadership” as prominent individuals that local residents can hold directly accountable. ⁴⁵ Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities, Levelling Up the United Kingdom, Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities, 2022, p.136, www.gov.uk/government/publications/levelling-up-the-united-kingdom.  They also provide central government with a single point of contact when they want something done in a region. ⁴⁶ Akash Paun, Alex Nice and Lucy Rycroft, How metro mayors can help level up England, Institute for Government, 2022, p. 33, www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/report/how-metro-mayors-can-help-level-england.

Beyond the powers devolved to them and their combined authorities, mayors exercise soft power as champions of place. They can use their convening power for policies requiring coordination across public services, and in areas beyond their formal brief. ⁴⁷ Akash Paun, Alex Nice and Lucy Rycroft, How metro mayors can help level up England, Institute for Government, 2022, p. 31, www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/report/how-metro-mayors-can-help-level-england.  For instance, in South Yorkshire, despite not having any formal powers for public health, Mayor Oliver Coppard announced the ‘Beds for Babies: Safe Space to Sleep Programme’ in 2024. ⁴⁸ South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, ‘South Yorkshire’s mayor to invest £2.2 million to guarantee beds for babies – a safe space to sleep for every child aged 0-5’, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, 12 March 2024, retrieved 29 April 2024, www.southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk/news/article/12cf5653-9626-437b-b8e2-98884859c985.
 

Who are England’s metro mayors?

There are 12 metro mayors at present (including the mayor of London, which has a different devolution model). 11 are Labour mayors, and one is a Conservative mayor. To date, 19 different people have held the post of metro mayor somewhere in England. 

What is the process to become a candidate for metro mayor? 

Candidates require a nomination paper signed by 100 local voters, including at least 10 from each constituent council. ⁵⁶ The Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) Order 2017 sch 1 Pt 3 para 8(1).  If there are more than 10 constituent councils, the number of signatures required rises to 10 times the number of councils. ⁵⁷ The Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) Order 2017 sch 1 Pt 3 para 8(2).  For London, 330 signatures are required, including 10 from each borough and the City of London. ⁵⁸ The Greater London Authority Elections Rules 2007 sch 3 Pt 3 para 7(1).

Candidates must deliver their nomination papers by 4pm on the 19th day before the election (or 24 days before in London). The returning officer then publishes the statement of persons and parties nominated by 4pm 18 working days before the election (or by noon, 22 days before for London). ⁵⁹ The Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) Order 2017 sch 1 Pt 2 para 3; The Greater London Authority Elections Rules 2007 sch 3 Pt 2 para 3.

Candidates have to give a deposit of £5,000, or £10,000 if standing in London. ⁶⁰ The Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) Order 2017 sch 1 Pt 3 para 10; The Greater London Authority Elections Rules 2007 sch 3 Pt 3 para 9(1).

Political parties run their own selection processes to choose their candidate, with the details determined by internal party rules. When selected, candidates submit a certificate of authorisation from the party with their nomination papers. 

Mayors do not need to be from a political party. Two metro mayors (Ken Livingstone and Jamie Driscoll) have been independent during some of their mayoral tenure. However, there have been no mayors belonging to a political party besides Labour and Conservative. 

Do metro mayors have to live in the local area?

Candidates for metro mayor must have a qualifying address. This means they must be a registered voter in, live in, own land or property in, or work within the combined authority geography (including for a year before nomination and on polling day). ⁶¹ The Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) Order 2017 sch 1 Pt 3 para 6(7)-(9); Greater London Authority Act 1999 s 20.

There is no requirement to be born or to grow up in the local area, nor is there a requirement to be a British citizen. ⁶² Local Government Act 1972 s 79; Greater London Authority Act 1999 s 20.  However, previous and current metro mayors often stand in areas they have enduring links to. Of the 19 mayors, at least nine were born within their combined authority area. Others, such as Andy Street and Dan Norris, grew up in the area they now represent despite not being born there.

What disqualifies you from running for metro mayor?

Candidates are unable to run for metro mayor if they are currently employed by the combined authority or a constituent council. ⁶⁷ The Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) Order 2017 sch 1 Pt 3 para 9(b); Greater London Authority Act 1999 s 21.  They also must not hold a politically restricted post, for example as a statutory chief officer of a local authority. ⁶⁸ The Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) Order 2017 sch 1 Pt 3 para 9(b); Greater London Authority Act 1999 s 21.

Candidates might be restricted from running if they have been imprisoned depending on length of sentence and whether there was option of a fine, if they are subject to a debt relief or bankruptcy restriction order, if they have been found guilty for illegal or corrupt electoral practices (within certain time restrictions), or if they are subject to the notification requirement of or under part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. ⁶⁹ The Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) Order 2017 sch 1 Pt 3 para 9(b); Greater London Authority Act 1999 s 21-21A.

Mayors who exercise police and crime commissioner (PCC) functions cannot simultaneously serve as a Member of Parliament, or hold other roles such as being a member of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary. ⁷⁰ Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 c. 20 s 64-68.

How are mayors elected?

The most recent mayoral elections were held on 2 May 2024 in South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Tees Valley, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Midlands, York and North Yorkshire, East Midlands, North East, and London. 

Mayoral elections use the first past the post (FPTP) system, since the implementation  of the Elections Act 2022.  This means that mayors can be elected with substantially less than a majority of votes; for example, the new West Midlands and North Yorkshire mayors won less than 40% of the vote.

Turnout at mayoral elections is generally lower than at general elections. The average turnout across the ten 2024 mayoral elections was 30%. Turnout was highest in London (41%) and lowest in the Liverpool City Region (24%).

What prior political experience do metro mayors typically have?

Most mayors have some political experience before taking on the role. Nine of the 19 previous or current metro mayors had been MPs, with four holding ministerial roles, before they were elected as mayors. 11 had been local councillors, while five had held both roles. Only Andy Street, Richard Parker, David Skaith and Oliver Coppard were neither an MP nor a councillor before being elected mayor. 

Local councillors must stand down if elected as metro mayor, but MPs need not unless they also hold police and crime commissioner functions. Tracy Brabin, whose West Yorkshire Combined Authority encompasses the PCC role, had to stand down as MP for Batley and Spen, ⁷³ James Vincent, ‘Tracy Brabin: 'Enormous privilege' to be first female metro mayor’ BBC News, 10 May 2021, retrieved 12 February 2024, www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-57054332. but Dan Jarvis, mayor of South Yorkshire from 2017-21, remained an MP throughout. ⁷⁴ Liz Roberts, ‘Dan Jarvis: MP to step down as South Yorkshire Mayor’ BBC News, 20 September 2021, retrieved 12 February 2024, www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-58626488.  Dan Norris, Mayor of the West England, was re-elected to parliament in July 2024, having previously sat as an MP from 1997 to 2010.

At what ages have metro mayors taken office?

The minimum age to become a metro mayor is 18. The youngest age that a metro mayor has taken office is 30, the oldest 61.

How much are metro mayors paid?

Mayors’ salaries vary. The average salary of the 10 mayors in 2022/23 was £92,063. The mayor of Greater London had the highest salary at £154,963 a year, and the Tees Valley and North of Tyne mayors had the lowest salaries at £65,000 a year.

Mayors cannot vote on their own salary, so rely on their combined authority members voting on whether to accept the recommendations of an Independent Renumeration Panel (IRP). Previous IRPs have considered other mayors’ salaries, police and crime commissioners’ salaries and MP salaries as comparators. ⁷⁶ Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, ‘Report of the Independent Renumeration Panel: Metro Mayor renumeration 2022-4’, no date, retrieved 12 February 2024, liverpoolcityregion-ca.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s62266/Enc.%201%20for%20Independent%20Remuneration%20Panel%20-%20Metro%20Mayor%20Remuneration.pdf