WHAT is a mayor?

For many people the word conjures up an image of heavy gold chains and robes.

This is certainly the case for the mayoral position here in Carlisle, where the role exists as a purely ceremonial position.

But increasingly in England, the word mayor is starting to mean something else.

It all started with the Mayor of London; an elected position created in 2000 that came with quite a range of serious powers. Now there are 25 elected mayors, many of whom are really making an impact.

Closer to home than London is the Tees Valley, whose first elected mayor, Ben Houchen, visited Carlisle recently to discuss the role and what it has meant for the people of Teesside.

Ben was elected in 2017 on a varied manifesto, but would be first to admit that there was one key issue that resonated with locals and helped propel him into office; his promise to buy Teesside Airport, which is exactly what he did.

That promise alone demonstrates exactly what the position of elected mayor can bring to a region.

Such a promise could never be made by an MP (MPs simply do not have the power for something like that).

Similarly, a local councillor would not have the mandate to make that promise.

But an elected mayor brings together the national mandate and local power to make huge strategic decisions – all the while accountable to the local electorate.

Yes, elected mayors do act as important figureheads and champions for local regions, which is often why party politics plays a much lesser role in the position once the election is over.

But talking with Ben about the things he has been able to achieve in Teesside really did make it clear that this role has a very tangible and material effect on what can be achieved by local government.

So, what does this mean for us in Carlisle and Cumbria?

Well, next year there will be an all-out election for our new council structure.

We will have two unitary councils instead of the cumbersome 6+1 configuration we have now. This will be an improvement in itself, but it also means that the local government structure will be much more compatible with a directly elected mayor of Cumbria over the two combined authorities.

We are different from Teesside, and our priorities are unique. But I see absolutely no reason why the same achievements and strategic oversight can’t be applied to our county so that we in Cumbria can take hold of our own destiny instead of waiting for decisions to be made on our behalf in Whitehall.

If we don’t take this opportunity, I worry that Cumbria would find itself left behind areas like Teesside, and Manchester, and West Yorkshire, and everywhere else where elected Mayors are being created.

That would be a tragedy for our county which has so much to offer.

It’s time for the word mayor to have an all-new meaning in Cumbria!