Mansfield MP Coun Ben Bradley likely to make East Midlands mayor decision by autumn

Mansfield’s MP Coun Ben Bradley has revealed he will likely make a decision in the autumn over whether to run to become the East Midlands’ first elected mayor.
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Coun Bradley, who also leads Nottinghamshire Council, where he is member for Mansfield North, has long been linked with the role after pushing to get the £1.14 billion regional devolution deal over the line.

However, he has repeatedly refused to say outright whether he will run for the position, despite describing it as a “really exciting role”.

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Now he has revealed a decision is expected to be made later this year on whether to contest the position ahead of the May 2024 poll – he has already said he is planning to run for parliament again, “as it stands”.

Coun Ben Bradley, right, joins other council leaders to sign the devolution deal.Coun Ben Bradley, right, joins other council leaders to sign the devolution deal.
Coun Ben Bradley, right, joins other council leaders to sign the devolution deal.

Coun Bradley said: “Those are decisions I’ll probably have to look at and take this autumn, which is when the selection processes will take place.

“That’s still a long way away, and lord knows where we will be.”

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It will bring new powers and funding to the region alongside a new combined authority to govern Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Derby.

Policy areas due to receive cash include education and skills, health, transport, planning and economic development, with at least £38 million per year for 30 years to be handed to local leaders from Whitehall.

The deal depends on the passing of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill – the national legislation needed for the devolution agreement to come into effect – which Coun Bradley sits on the committee of.

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The bill, currently being debated by the House of Lords and expected to be given royal assent later this year, will allow the region’s combined authority to be created through a behind-the-scenes committee before the authority is then set up in ‘shadow’ form.

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Staff can then be hired to work in the authority, with plans in place to create strategies and policies for the new mayor ahead of their May 2024 election.

Coun Bradley said: “There will be a very specific ‘statutory instrument’ committee behind the scenes. This will pull together the legislation needed to create our specific combined authority.

“We expect by autumn that this will be sorted and the combined authority will exist as an organisation, starting to recruit senior staff.

“The plan is still a May 2024 election and we will have a nine-month period where the combined authority exists in shadow form.

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“It will start to draw up strategies and policies so, when the mayor is elected, on day one they have got things to get on with.”

The combined authority will include representatives from the city and county councils, as well as industry leaders in areas like transport or education.

It will also have four ‘non-constituent’ seats for district and borough councils.

The elected mayor will then have oversight and control over the combined authority and will be able to set their own budget.