• Centre for Cities urges Scottish and UK Governments to back mayor-led devolution for the Glasgow City Region
• Glasgow is the only large city in the UK without such a deal, and is potentially missing out on billions of pounds of funding as a result
• Scotland’s economy would be 4.6 per cent larger than it is now if Glasgow’s economy performed in line with the average for cities its size, analysis shows

Glasgow is at risk of falling behind England’s major cities unless it receives a devolution deal and a directly-elected city region mayor, according to Centre for Cities, the leading independent research and policy organisation dedicated to improving the performance of the UK’s urban economies.

Its report, The missing piece in the big cities’ jigsaw, says Glasgow’s economic potential is constrained by fragmented governance and a lack of powers over key areas such as transport, housing, skills, and economic development.

Centre for Cities calls on the Scottish Government to legislate for the establishment of mayoral combined authorities in Scotland and put Glasgow at the front of the queue for a new mayor.

It estimates that if Glasgow performed in line with cities of comparable size in other countries, Scotland’s economy could be up to 4.6 per cent larger – the equivalent of doubling the size of Scotland’s oil and gas sector.

Over half of the people who work in Glasgow City live in neighbouring local authority areas but decisions over transport, planning and housing are made separately and without coordinated leadership. A combined authority, led by a metro mayor, would address this shortcoming and allow the city-region to plan and deliver infrastructure and services at the scale of the entire local economy.

Glasgow is the only large UK city in this position, leaving it lagging behind most similar-size cities in England and elsewhere in the G7.

Meanwhile the mayoral authorities covering all large English cities have been handed greater powers and funding and are set to receive more over this parliament.  For example, in last week’s spending review alone, these areas were given an average of £1.7 billion to fund transport investment.

Centre for Cities recommends:

1. Creating a Glasgow city-region combined authority covering the City Deal area (comprising eight local authorities);
2. Establishing a directly-elected mayor for the region to provide visible, accountable leadership;
3. Devolving powers over transport, housing, skills, economic development and public service reform, similar to those in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands;
4. Providing a long-term, multiyear integrated funding settlement to support investment and economic transformation.

Andrew Carter, Chief Executive of Centre for Cities, said: 

“The UK is taking a city-region led approach to economic growth because cities are at the frontier of innovation and economic growth. Glasgow has an important role in this, with the potential to make an added economic contribution the size of Scotland’s oil and gas sector if it harnesses its size to generate more cutting-edge activity.

“English cities with metro mayors have in the last week been allocated billions to invest in local public transport networks and R&D. Scotland too needs its big cities to make a greater contribution to the economy. A directly-elected mayor for the Glasgow city region would bring much-needed leadership, accountability and the ability to shape growth around the city’s needs.

“City-region devolution for Scottish cities is not about copying England. It is about matching the ambition of English devolution. Scotland was a devolution leader and by going that extra step to push devolution out to city-region level, it would give people in Glasgow and other cities the chance to have a greater voice and set their own rules.”

Stuart Patrick, CEO for Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said:

“The Chamber has consistently called for a single devolution deal for Glasgow City Region. Many of the economic development priorities raised by our members, including investment in skills and the delivery of transformative transport projects like Clyde Metro would be more effectively addressed at a regional level.

“It has now been 11 years since the City Region secured its initial City Deal. That funding is largely delivered, yet other UK cities have since received further powers and investment. Glasgow cannot afford to be left behind.

“The time is right for both the UK and Scottish Governments to agree a single, ambitious devolution deal for Glasgow. This need not require additional national spending – devolving existing budgets to the regional level, as is already the case in other major UK cities, would allow for more locally accountable and effective delivery.”