The leadership of place and people in the new English combined authorities

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the theory and early practice of elected political leadership in the first six English mayoral combined authorities (CAs). It draws on the history of local government in England, policy documentation, and theory on leadership, place and institutional formation to analyse the early leadership of the metro-mayors from the perspective of the leadership of place. It suggests that public policy and the literature on political leadership could usefully recognise the power of place in the exercise of leadership. The paper concludes by raising questions around the development of CAs and their mayors within the wider governance landscape.

KEYWORDS:

• Combined authorities
• place
• leadership
• elected mayors
• English devolution

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. In Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Midlands, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, West of England and Tees Valley. All but the more rural Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are city regions.

2. In Sheffield City Region in 2018 and North of Tyne in May 2019. West Yorks CA and North East CA have no mayor.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jane Roberts

Jane Roberts is a research fellow in public leadership at the Open University Business School. She has held elected political office in local government, and her research interests focus on political leadership including the transition from political office and the leadership of place. She is the author of ‘Exiting the political stage: exploring the impact on representative democracy’, British Politics 14: 391.