Why does Lancashire not have a mayor?

Before too much longer, Lancashire will be the only part of the north-west of England not to have an elected mayor.

Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City Region already have one, while both Cheshire and Warrington and Cumbria are set to join them next year.

As part of the government's devolution programme, the plan is for Lancashire to have its own mayor too, but this will not happen until 2028.

Lancashire's Combined County Authority does have some devolved powers, albeit fewer than were it operating under the mayoral model.

Devolution for Lancashire is something that has been talked about since 2015 when all 15 of its councils came together to try to find a way forward.

It stalled over whether the county should have an elected figurehead, with Wyre, Fylde and the Ribble Valley eventually pulling out.

Politics expert Dr Matt Cole, from the University of Lancaster, explained: "Lancashire has three particular circumstances that make it difficult to introduce a mayor. They're to do with the politicians, the politics, and the people.

"Lancashire is already going through a wholesale change of local government that is consuming quite enough time and anxiety.

"The position of mayor is very distinctive and there is very, very strong local loyalty in large parts of Lancashire."

In 2020 talks resumed about forming a Combined County Authority but only involved the leaders of the so-called top-tier authorities – Lancashire County Council, Blackpool Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council.

This sparked criticism from several district council leaders who felt they had been excluded.

Eventually, a deal was signed in 2023 to create the new Combined County Authority.

It came into being in 2025, and now a mayor is being proposed again, this time for 2028.

So who would be interested in the role?

Certainly not the Reform UK leader of Lancashire County Council, Stephen Atkinson.

"We've already got devolution - we have the Lancashire Combined County Authority," he said. "You don't need a mayor."

Lancashire's only Conservative MP and former Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden has also ruled himself out.

"I'm very, very happy as the Member of Parliament for Fylde and I'm sure we'll put through a superb Conservative candidate," he said.

Meanwhile Sir Lindsay Hoyle said: "I love my job - I'm very lucky to be the MP for Chorley and the Speaker of the House of Commons."

However John Potter, who leads the Liberal Democrats both on Lancashire County Council and Preston City Council, said he was not ruling himself out.

But he added: "Fools make plans too early and there might be all sorts of things that happen - I could be leading one of the new councils after the next set of local elections!"

Independent county councillor Azhar Ali refused to be drawn on whether he wanted the job.

He said: "I want the best deal for Lancashire and whoever is the mayor, I'll fully support them."

Former Green MEP Gina Dowding said she was "being encouraged" to put herself forward and "wouldn't rule it out".

The current Lancashire County Councillor and Lancaster City Councillor added that she was "very excited at the moment about the huge increase of people with a variety of experiences and skills" joining her party.

We are expecting a decision shortly about precisely how local government will be shaken up in the Red Rose county.

It will see all of Lancashire's 15 councils scrapped and replaced with a smaller number of larger authorities. We do not know yet how many there will be.

Cole thinks this needs to happen before serious talks can start about an elected mayor.

"There's a good deal of turbulence in national government at the moment," he said. "Maybe even the next general election will have to settle before people decide whether they want to put themselves forward."

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