Burnham’s devo deal risks ‘leaving Woking behind’ warns Lib Dem MP Will Forster

Liberal Democrat MP Will Forster, warned Labour Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, that his devolution plan risks a left-behind Britain, leaving Woking - and the rest of Surrey -without a Metro Mayor.  

The Liberal Democrats have long called for a proper shifting of power away from Whitehall, and into communities, but Woking MP, Will Forster, raised urgent concerns that new plans to give areas with a Metro Mayor millions of pounds more in funding will deepen divides.  

Will Forster says that Woking, in its new West Surrey Council, has been given no timeline, no funding, and no guarantee that it will see the powers London and Manchester have been given. 

The creation of West Surrey Council will inherit a debt of £4.5 billion, yet Labour has failed to give the extra powers or money to help. Labour says this will save money; but despite Will Forster repeatedly asking the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government how much money reorganisation saves, the government has failed to come up with a figure for Surrey, or the rest of the country. 

Government figures already show that areas with a Metro Mayor get millions more in cash. As things currently stand, areas with Metro Mayors receive over nine times as much funding than normal local authorities. That’s a gap of up to £2.26 million, compared with £250,000, for basic administration.  

Burnham's devo deal means Woking could also miss out on: 

• an estimated £27 million a year in investment funding. West Surrey is not in the Devolution Priority Programme. 

• the chance to be considered for the £500 million Revolving Growth Fund, reserved for Metro Mayors.  

• over £200 million per year in total between 2026/27 and 2029/30 from the Local Growth Fund; this will go only to Metro Mayors. 

• a single integrated funding settlement, giving local leaders the flexibility to invest in transport, housing, skills and economic growth without the instability of bidding every year to central government. 

Also, areas in the Devolution Priority Programme, designed to bring a form of devolution to more areas across England, announced by the Government last year, receive investment fund allocations of between £11 million and £44 million per year. With such stark gaps, one begins to question the sincerity of the new Prime Minister’s policies. 

Metro Mayors across England also hold exclusive access to additional powers that would widen the gaps between those who have a Metro Mayor, and Burnham’s left behind Britain. These powers mean regions with a Metro Mayor get exclusive ways to keep money in the area it is raised, funding public transport, infrastructure improvements and more cash for local business growth. This means areas without a Metro Mayor are left even further behind. 

Woking’s Lib Dem MP, Will Forster, said: 

“I want to see more power in our local communities, but these plans from Andy Burnham risk increasing the divide in the country. As a former Metro Mayor, he should know better. 

“The Government’s own stats show that areas without a Mayor get way less than those with a Mayor – Woking is set to lose out on millions of pounds of funding. We are saddled with billions of Conservative debt, and the new council will struggle to cope with that without extra money from the government. 

“I've pushed repeatedly for debt relief for Woking, but we are still in the mire. Labour say they want to standardise local government but without these extra powers and money, Labour is making two kinds of councils. Ones with, and ones without. Ultimately, Woking is missing out.” 

ENDS 

Notes to Editors: 

• Constituency data on Strategic Authority Mayors:[Data] Strategic Mayoral Authorities 

• Funding figures are drawn from the government's Explanatory Note on Mayoral Strategic Authority Funding 2026-27.  

• Capacity funding allocations: existing MSAs receive £2,257,576 in 2026-27, rising to £2,580,952 in 2028-29; FSAs receive £250,000 per annum across the same period. 

• Annual investment fund allocations for Devolution Priority Programme areas range from £11.1 million (Cumbria) to £44.6 million (Hampshire and the Solent). Details here. 

• Fiscal powers available exclusively to mayoral strategic authorities can be found here. 

• Ed Davey, Zöe Franklin ,Lib Dem Spokesperson for Local Government, and Liberal Democrat council leaders’ joint letter to Andy Burnham: AB devolution letter 10072026.pdf