For the past decade, the government’s preferred model of devolution has been to combined authorities with directly elected mayors. However, more than five years on from the election of the first metro mayors, there is ongoing resistance from councils to adopting this model. In this episode of The Local Authority, a podcast from Local Government Chronicle, we explore what is behind this resistance and how the model is working in those places where it already exists.

Joining LGC editor Sarah Calkin this month is Professor Carolyn Wilkins, fellow at Birmingham Leadership Institute and former chief executive of Oldham MBC; Cllr Anna Smith (Lab), former leader of Cambridge City Council and deputy mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority and Paul Swinney, director of policy and research at Centre for Cities. The episode is available for streaming on all platforms now.