Andy Burnham has pledged to shift power out of Whitehall through a major expansion of devolution. Yesterday's announcement was cautiously welcomed by West Berkshire council leader Jeff Brooks.
"We fully support more local decision making," said Jeff Brooks (Lib Dem, Thatcham West).
"Too many decisions are held centrally. But he will have a fight on his hands in Whitehall from departments not wanting to let go of control."
Leaders across the Thames Valley are progressing plans for a mayoral strategic authority (MSA) - a combined authority of several councils led by a directly elected mayor - to take more decisions locally.
Mr Brooks says an MSA would help councils deliver joined-up transport and infrastructure and the right sort of housing, with an emphasis on social housing, creating the conditions for faster, more inclusive growth.
Burnham called the United Kingdom "one of the most over-centralised countries in the world" and vowed "the biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen". He is the former mayor of Greater Manchester and is likely to replace Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister this summer.
West Berkshire Council has also formally proposed merging with South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse to create a single-tier unitary authority, tentatively called Ridgeway Council, driven by government restructuring and expected in 2028.
Niki Hinman, Local Democracy Reporter
