A COUNCIL chief has denied the North-East’s town halls have “U-turned” over their resistance to a single elected mayor.

Durham County Council leader Simon Henig was speaking after the North East Combined Authority (Neca) that he chairs said it would consider an elected mayor in return for devolution of powers from London.

Councillor Henig previously said his personal view was any deal should not depend on accepting a mayor; but today (Monday, July 20) said Neca had never “ruled anything out”.

He also said any suggestion he had made a local referendum a condition of accepting a mayor was the “interpretation of (his comments by) others”.

“The public must determine it through some method of consultation. There are a number of ways the public can be engaged,” he said.

COMMENT: A time for pragmatism

Cllr Henig now hopes devolution negotiations with the Government will begin shortly; although asked whether he wanted the job of mayor, he said: “We’re not at that stage yet. My role is to get us round the table with the Government and then get us the best deal for the North-East.”

The region could land powers over transport, skills and economic development, although suggestions a mayor could run the police and fire service are premature.

No budget has yet been mooted, but Chancellor George Osborne hailed the development as a “major step forward in building the Northern Powerhouse”.

Paul Woolston, chair of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), also welcomed the announcement, saying: “This is an opportunity of the utmost importance for future North-East economic prosperity and one we cannot afford to miss out on.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Sue Jeffrey, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council and chair of the shadow Tees Valley Combined Authority, refused to rule out a single elected mayor for the Tees Valley, saying governance discussions would take place as part of the devolution process.

Tees Valley council leaders made the case for devolution to their area direct to Communities Secretary Greg Clark and Northern Powerhouse Minister and Stockton South MP James Wharton in London last week.

But Darlington Borough Council leader Bill Dixon told last week’s full council meeting he did not support a regional elected mayor.

Concerns persist that the region, which already has two LEPs, would be further divided by two mayors, although Cllr Henig said he had written to Tees Valley leaders urging “working as closely together as we can”.