In a closed online meeting between business leaders and the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, this week most (78%) agreed that more devolved powers to Metro Mayors would have helped the UK get through Covid-19 more effectively. The discussion also found that business leaders overwhelmingly support (83%) giving more tax and spending authority powers directly to the UK’s cities, with most agreeing that international travel with full vaccination and/or negative tests is vital to boost the economy.

Derek Ray-Hill, Managing Director at Cities Restart, who hosted the event, said: “If Whitehall continues to hold our city regions captive, they will risk a backlash from across all walks of life outside the Westminster bubble. There have been a series of centralised mistakes by government throughout this crisis from track and trace to skills shortages. The view from business is overwhelming – give our Mayors more power to support our communities and help us recover.”

Cities Restart is a start-up venture dedicated to helping UK cities restart during and after COVID-19.