Mayor of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority

Mayor of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority
Post	Mayor of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority
Body	West Yorkshire Combined Authority
Incumbent	Tracy Brabin
Incumbentsince	2021
Style	Mayor
Formation	2021
Inaugural	Tracy Brabin
Seat	Leeds

Mayor of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority is the directly elected head of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, a statutory mayoral office created under the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016 and the West Yorkshire devolution deal. The mayor coordinates region-wide functions across Leeds, Bradford, Kirklees, Calderdale, and Wakefield and works with national institutions such as the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, HM Treasury, and the Cabinet Office. The incumbent is Tracy Brabin, first elected in 2021 after a by-election following the abolition of a related West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner arrangement and the integration of responsibilities previously exercised by local authorities and combined bodies.

History

The office emerged from a wave of devolution begun under the Coalition Government (UK) and formalised by the Localism Act 2011 and later the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016, following precedents set by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the West Midlands Combined Authority. Negotiations involved the Yorkshire and Humber Local Enterprise Partnership, the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, and the Leeds City Region Partnership, building on frameworks used in the Tees Valley Combined Authority and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority. The first devolution deal for West Yorkshire was agreed with ministers from the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury and signed alongside mayors from regions such as London and Greater Manchester in a period characterised by high-profile initiatives like the Northern Powerhouse programme and the Industrial Strategy White Paper. Local actors included leaders from Leeds City Council, Bradford Council, Kirklees Council, Calderdale Council, and Wakefield Council, as well as stakeholders such as Network Rail, Transport for the North, National Health Service, and West Yorkshire Police. The office's statutory basis reflects changes in precedents like the London Mayor and timelines set by the Public Bodies Act 2011.

Powers and responsibilities

The mayor's statutory portfolio includes devolved transport functions previously held by West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority successors, strategic planning responsibilities linked to the National Planning Policy Framework, and powers over skills and adult education aligned with the Department for Education and Education and Skills Funding Agency. The role includes oversight of the region's strategic transport body working with West Yorkshire Metro, Network Rail, Transport for the North, and National Highways; stewardship of investment through instruments comparable to City Deal and Growth Deal arrangements negotiated with HM Treasury; and responsibility for aligning public health initiatives developed with the NHS England and the Yorkshire Ambulance Service. The mayor chairs the combined authority board alongside council leaders from Leeds, Bradford, Kirklees, Calderdale, and Wakefield, and engages with bodies like the Local Government Association, Skills Funding Agency, British Business Bank, and regional universities such as the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University. The role can also exercise conditional powers related to housing investment vehicles, regional spatial strategies resembling elements of the National Infrastructure Commission processes, and employment support programmes akin to the Work Programme and Universal Credit interactions.

Election and term

The mayor is elected by voters within the West Yorkshire area under rules established by the Representation of the People Act 1983 and subsequent statutory orders governing combined authority mayors. Elections have been contested by candidates from national parties including the Labour Party (UK), the Conservative Party (UK), the Liberal Democrats (UK), the Green Party of England and Wales, and regional groupings. The electoral timetable aligns with statutes similar to those governing the Mayor of London and is administered by the Electoral Commission and local returning officers from the West Yorkshire Returning Officer office hosted in Leeds City Council. The mayoral term length follows precedent from other metropolitan mayors and is subject to fixed-term arrangements and by-election provisions established in legislation such as the Local Government Act 2000 and electoral regulations influenced by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.

List of mayors

- Tracy Brabin (Labour Party (UK)) — elected 2021; previously Member of Parliament for Batley and Spen and Mayor of West Yorkshire incumbent. The inaugural election followed mechanisms used in other combined authorities like Greater Manchester and West Midlands. Comparable mayoral figures include Sadiq Khan, Andy Burnham, Andy Street, and Ben Houchen among mayors across England.

Deputy and supporting structures

The mayor is supported by a deputy mayor role and portfolio holders drawn from the combined authority, similar to cabinet arrangements under the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and West Midlands Combined Authority. The mayor works with statutory officers including the combined authority chief executive, chief finance officer, and monitoring officer, interacting with bodies like the Local Government Association, the National Audit Office, and auditors such as Mazars (UK) or KPMG. Regional partnerships include the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership, the Yorkshire Universities, the Chamber of Commerce groups in Leeds and Bradford, and transport stakeholders including Northern Trains and TransPennine Express. Governance arrangements reference models from the Committee on Standards in Public Life and statutory guidance published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Political and public impact

The mayor influences policy areas that intersect with national initiatives such as the Northern Powerhouse, the Levelling Up White Paper, and the Industrial Strategy. Political debates around the role echo controversies seen with other mayors involving party politics of Labour Party (UK), Conservative Party (UK), and regional organisations including the Yorkshire Party and the Green Party of England and Wales. The office has been a focal point for advocacy by unions such as the Trades Union Congress and campaigns by civic groups like the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Shelter (charity), and it engages with cultural institutions including Leeds Art Gallery, Bradford City Park, and the Royal Armouries Museum. The mayor's decisions affect major infrastructure projects comparable to HS2 debates and local regeneration initiatives modelled on Salford Quays and Liverpool ONE, influencing investment, planning, and public services across West Yorkshire.

Category:Politics of West Yorkshire