Cumbria Combined Authority

Cumbria Combined Authority
The proposed area of the authority
Type
Type	Combined Authority
Leadership
Mayor	TBC (election in 2027)
Seats	Cumberland; Westmorland and Furness

The Cumbria Combined Authority is a developing combined authority comprising the unitary authorities of Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness. The authority will have a directly elected mayor, with elections to be held in May 2027. ^[1]

Background

Discussions for a devolution deal for the county began before Cumbria County Council's 2023 abolition, with Michael Gove, the then Secretary of State for Housing, Local Government and Communities expressing his wish to extend devolution to the county, once the process of establishing new councils had completed. ^[2]

The 2023 restructuring of local government in Cumbria saw the county split into two authorities, essentially East and West, creating the Cumberland, and Westmorland and Furness, authorities. ^[3] These two new authorities replaced Cumbria County Council, which ceased to exist on 1 April 2023. Its duties, including roads, schools and social services, fell to the newly created authorities.

Devolution deal

A deal put to Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness councils in 2025 included more powers and funding for transport, skills and housing through a Devolution Framework, which would transfer some powers currently held by the UK Government to the new combined authority. ^[4] Five voting members of the combined authority would exist, with four coming from the two councils and one being the directly-elected mayor.

The deal was accepted by both councils on 14 October 2025. ^[1] A £1 million package from the government was allocated to help establish the combined authority, as well as access to a Mayoral Investment Fund of £333 million over the course of 30 years. The authority will be established in early 2026, operating for a year without a mayor. ^[5] There is precedent from past newly-formed combined authorities that an interim mayor be appointed, but it is unknown if this will happen in Cumbria.

Mayor of Cumbria

Elections for the first Mayor of Cumbria will be held in May 2027, most likely on the same day as other local elections across England. ^[6]

Mike Starkie, former Mayor of Copeland, was selected as the Conservative Party candidate. ^[7]

Libby Bateman, a former Conservative Cumbria County Council councillor, was selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate. ^[8]

Rory Stewart, former MP for Penrith and the Border, has refused to rule out running for the mayoralty as an independent. ^{[9] [10]}

References

1. "Cumbria councils agree mayoral devolution plan". BBC News. 14 October 2025. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
2. Kenyon, Megan (25 January 2023). "Gove hints at next round of county deals and confirms Oflog chair". Local Government Chronicle (LGC). Retrieved 14 October 2025.
3. "Cumbria councils to be replaced by two authorities". BBC News. 21 July 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
4. "Cumbria devolution consultation". GOV.UK. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
5. "Councils say yes to new Mayor-led authority". Cumberland Council. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
6. Hatmaker, Julia (14 October 2025). "Cumbrian councils vote for devolution". Place North West. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
7. "Former Copeland Mayor selected as Conservative candidate for Cumbria mayoral vote". The Mail. 1 October 2025. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
8. "Liberal Democrats announce candidate to run for Cumbria Mayor". The Westmoreland Gazette. 16 October 2025. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
9. "437. Question Time: Farage vs Corbyn: The UK's Next Prime Minister? - The Rest Is Politics". Black Country Radio. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
10. "Rory Stewart coyly swerves question on Cumbria Mayor run at Kendal book event". The Westmorland Gazette. 30 October 2025. Retrieved 30 October 2025.