1 15 September 2014. Plan announced to give Greater Manchester greater control of its finances and an elected mayor:
• Total Manchester public spending brought under the control of Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), under a new local governance structure.
• GMCA given legal powers to enact local joined-up government, encouraging multi-agency initiatives.
• Power over property taxes, moving on to income taxes.
• Powers to reinvest savings and proceeds locally, while a percentage of overheads remains with Whitehall.
• Creation of a new “democratic” system with an elected Assembly led by the Mayor of Manchester. Provisional mayor appointed.
2 3 November 2014. Devolution agreement between Chancellor of the Exchequer and leaders of the GMCA.
A new, directly elected mayor would have powers including:
• Responsibility for a devolved and consolidated transport budget.
• Strategic planning, including creation of a statutory spatial framework.
• Control of a new £300 million Housing Investment Fund.
• Control of a reformed earn-back deal, within the current envelope of £30 million a year for 30 years.
• Taking over the current responsibilities of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
GMCA powers to include:
• Opportunity to be a joint commissioner with Department for Work and Pensions.
• An invitation, along with Greater Manchester Clinical Commissioning Groups, to develop a plan to integrate health and social care across Greater Manchester, based on control of existing health and social care budgets.
3 27 February 2015. Memorandum of Understanding between NHS England and Greater Manchester.
• Announced a shared plan for £6 billion health and social care funding.
• Companion article: The DevoManc debacle