West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has double the number of meetings with Government than Greater Manchester rival
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has had twice as many meetings with ministers than any of the five other regional mayors, it has been revealed.
The former John Lewis boss had 15 official appointments with members of the Government – including two with Prime Minister Theresa May – inside his first 100 days in office.
Research by the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) found Conservative Mr Street had double the number of meetings with ministers than Labour's Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham in the last three months.
Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram (Labour) was the only other mayor to meet with the Prime Minister.
The Mayors of Tees Valley and West of England – both Conservative said they had officially met four ministers each since their election.
While James Palmer – the Conservative Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough had a total of six meetings.
Over the past week senior Labour politicians, including defeated mayoral candidate Sion Simon and Dudley North MP Ian Austin, claimed Mr Street had 'failed' the West Midlands in his first 100 days.
But the region now appears to have overtaken Greater Manchester in carrying the most weight with Government.
The amount of ministerial access mayors have been granted is more than council leaders and chief executives would normally expect, New Local Government Network director Adam Lent said.
Paul Swinney, principal economist at the thinktank Centre for Cities, said it was 'not surprising' Mr Street had had the most meetings with ministers 'given the considerable political capital' the Conservatives invested in his mayoral campaign.
By agreeing to have a regional mayor, the West Midlands is getting an extra £30m a year and new powers over transport, skills, economic growth, housing, and mental health.
Mr Street has now started negotiating a new deal with the Government to get more funds and powers.
Sheffield, Leeds and Newcastle are yet to finalise a devolution deal.
Jack Hunter, research fellow at thinktank IPPR North, said: “It is encouraging that central government is engaging with the new mayors and shows they’re here to stay”.
He told the LGC that if Mr Street can secure a second devolution deal, as is expected in the autumn, new powers and funds could be granted to the other regions with a mayor.
