Lancashire will get elected mayor, Rayner says
During a question and answer session at the Convention of the North in Preston, the deputy prime minister said she understood "the perception" that places without an Andy Burnham-style figurehead may feel left out.
"I've been really straight that we want mayors," she said, "and with the new [devolution] priority programme, by May 2026, the whole of the north will have mayors, which is fantastic."
Lancashire local authority leaders had previously been asked to come up with proposals for "deeper and wider devolution" by this autumn.
Elected mayor system broken and bad for women - MP
Lancashire councils given reorganisation deadline
County's combined authority officially launched
All of Lancashire's 15 councils have been asked to submit initial plans for how they will reorganise themselves into new authorities.
The government wants councils to merge to create single unitary authorities to provide all the services in their area under an elected mayor.
Devolution minister, Jim McMahon, told the conference: "It's about giving local leaders the power to get on and do the job and a mayor is really important in that, they do make a difference."
The devolution white paper, published two months ago, stated that it was the government's "strong preference" that local areas opted for mayor if they did not already have one – but it also held out the alternative prospect of a non-mayoral "strategic authority", like the Lancashire Combined County Authority (CCA) that came into being last month, to oversee its existing devolution deal.
That "level two" agreement gives Lancashire powers including control of the adult education budget and some aspects of local transport, as well as a one-off £20m innovation fund.
However, a top-grade "level three" deal would see the creation of a long-term investment cash pot, with an agreed annual allocation, along with a say over local rail and greater control over brownfield regeneration.
The leaders of Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen councils, Lynn Williams and Phil Riley, two of the three current devolution deal signatories, have previously expressed hope and confidence that Lancashire would end up part of the government's devolution priority programme of places where mayors would be in place by next May.
Lancashire County Council leader Phillippa Williamson, the other devolution partner, has previously stressed the lack of local agreement over a mayor, but had not ventured a particular preference on behalf of her own authority.
However, district council leaders are openly split over the issue – with the likes of Chorley's Alistair Bradley and Preston's Matthew Brown having come out in favour of a mayor, but others including Wyre leader Michael Vincent and Ribble Valley's Stephen Atkinson staunchly against.
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
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Chicago Tribune
13 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Robert A. Pape: To prevent nuclear war in the Middle East, America needs to change its nuclear doctrine
The world is moving closer to the brink of nuclear war in alarming ways that are more dangerous and harder to anticipate than during the Cold War. The famous 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis was a harrowing near miss, but today's nuclear dangers are more complex. This is due to a variety of factors, particularly coming together in the Middle East: increasing tensions across the region, growing risks of nuclear proliferation, and now perils of surprise military attack during crises involving states with nuclear weapons or on the cusp of nuclear weapons. Israel's recent 12-day war against Iran is a harbinger of potentially growing nuclear dangers to come. For the first time in history, two nuclear armed states — Israel and the United States — bombed a state, Iran, with a major nuclear program that many believe is on the threshold of acquiring all the physical and technical capacities necessary to produce nuclear weapons within a matter of months. For sure, the 12-day war involved a series of attacks and counterattacks that were terrifying to live through, and there was great relief when they came to an end. However, the future is even more concerning. First, Israeli and American bombing did not obliterate Iran's nuclear program, as President Donald Trump astonishingly declared before he received bomb damage assessments. As is now widely agreed among U.S. defense intelligence, Israeli intelligence and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the air strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan did not eliminate Iran's stockpiles of highly enriched uranium. Although uncertainly remains about Iran's next steps, there is little doubt that Iran could attempt to produce a 'crude' bomb in a matter of months. And it is important to understand, a 'crude' bomb means a Hiroshima-style weapon that could lead to the deaths of 80,000 people from the immediate effects of the blast. Second, future information about Iran's nuclear program is fraught with high degrees of uncertainty. From the beginning, Iran has allowed IAEA inspectors to have tremendous access to monitor its nuclear enrichment program. True, these inspections have fluctuated over time and have never been as fully comprehensive as many would have liked. However, for decades, the quarterly IAEA reports have been crucial for high confidence assessments about the scale of Iran's enrichment program and whether vast amounts of enriched uranium have not been siphoned off to develop nuclear weapons. Now, Iran has reportedly banned IAEA inspectors from its nuclear facilities, and the fear and suspicion about a surprise nuclear breakout will grow over time. Third, and most important, the 12-day war shows that the fear of surprise attack is now fully justified. It is important to recall that the war started June 13 with a stunning, Pearl Harbor-like surprise attack by Israel on Iran's nuclear sites. Israel's bolt-from-the-blue strike occurred without warning and while Iranian negotiators were preparing to meet with their American counterparts just days later. Given these events, Israel, the United States and Iran now face the specter of one of the most terrifying scenarios for nuclear war: the 'reciprocal fear of surprise attack.' That's a situation in which both sides of a potential conflict fear being attacked first, leading them to consider — and possibly launch — a preemptive strike to avoid being caught off guard. The most worrisome aspect is that striking first in these circumstances has an element of rationality. If one side thinks the other is preparing for a surprise attack, then attacking first, even if it carries risks, may be the best way to reduce one's own losses. Of course, nuclear war is so horrible that the reciprocal fear of surprise attack may never lead to an actual outbreak of war. If so, then the prospect of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons would not be a problem in the first place. Alas, we need to take this danger seriously. What can be done? Although there are no perfect solutions to the reciprocal fear of surprise attack, there is one step that would significantly matter: For the United States, Iran and Israel to declare that they would never be the first to use nuclear weapons in a crisis involving Iran. The general idea of 'no first use' pledges, as they are called, arose during the Cold War, but the United States has never been willing to make such a promise. At the time, this was thought of in the context of the U.S., Europe and Soviet contest in which America needed the implicit threat of the first use of nuclear weapons to offset the Soviet conventional military threat to U.S. nonnuclear European allies. The Middle East is clearly different. America's main ally, Israel, is a powerful nuclear weapons state and so does not rely on U.S. nuclear weapons to deter attacks on its homeland. For the United States, Israel and Iran to agree a limited no-first-use policy would not end the tensions over Iran's nuclear program. However, it would energize negotiations and avoid some of the worst ways that a nuclear war could inadvertently occur. The Nobel Laureate Assembly to Prevent Nuclear War taking place at the University of Chicago recently was a perfect place to begin a national conversation about the value of adapting U.S. nuclear doctrine to today's realities in the Middle East. If this assembly of the most brilliant minds on the planet could recommend this historic step in which the U.S., Iran and Israel each pledge they would not be the first to use nuclear weapons in the dispute involving Iran's nuclear program, this would be a meaningful step toward preventing nuclear war in one of the most dangerous regions in the world.
USA Today
14 hours ago
- USA Today
How Trump's personal aesthetic is redefining White House décor: 'I picked it all myself'
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Gold-colored appliqués on the fireplace, gilded mirrors and ornate Rococo-style 18th and 19th century dessert stands and flower vases from London and France sit on the mantle. The walls are choc-a-block with paintings of former presidents in heavily ornate gold frames. The Cabinet Room has been outfitted with new ceiling medallions and a grandfather clock. 'I picked it all myself," he said. "I'm very proud of it." There's even a painting of Trump by an 87-year-old artist who said he was surprised to find out his work was being showcased in the West Wing. Meanwhile, Trump has also ripped up the sod in the Rose Garden in favor of a 'gorgeous stone' patio − work paid for by the same nonprofit that funded the Washington Monument's restoration work after a 2011 earthquake − and announced plans to build a ballroom in the White House. He recently erected two 88-foot-tall flagpoles on the south and north lawns of the White House. 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He said he'd sent a photo print to the White House but never heard back. The artist, who is a Trump supporter, said he wanted to portray 'three of the strongest, most influential presidents this country has ever had at some of the most tumultuous times.' Bobnick, who has never visited Washington D.C., said he was 'flattered' the print had made an impression. 'I still have the original,' he said. Trump also believes the White House grounds are in need for improvement. The installation of the flagpoles on the White House lawns in June cost about $50,000 each, which Trump said he'd paid for himself. Congress gives every new president an allowance of $100,000 to refurbish the private residence and the Oval Office, for things such as furnishings and curtains. Work is currently in progress on the Rose Garden, which is located just outside the Oval Office, and where bilateral meetings with world leaders and news conferences are often held. 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Some projects they have led include $22 million for the design and construction of the U.S. Park Police Horse Stables and Education Center on the National Mall in 2023 and a $7.5 million restoration of the Washington Monument after a 2011 earthquake. Julie Moore, a spokesperson for the nonprofit, said it accepts private donations to support the National Park Service's projects at the White House gardens not supported by federal funding. Moore said the project will not use taxpayer dollars but declined to name donors saying they have chosen to remain anonymous. Moore said the funds for the project had already been secured. A White House ballroom? Trump's next project, if it gets off the ground, promises be a grand one — and one that he has, offered to pay for himself. Trump first floated the idea for a ballroom, like the one in Mar-a-Lago, during his first run for president in 2016. The Obama administration confirmed to USA TODAY in 2016 that Trump had offered to spend $100 million on a new White House ballroom, but that the offer was quickly rejected. Back then, Trump derided White House events for foreign dignitaries held in tents, saying that was an inappropriate way to entertain them. State dinners are generally held in the East Room, which at 3,000 square feet is the biggest of the state rooms and the only one that runs the entire width of the executive mansion. It's also where dances, receptions, concerts and news conferences are held. During an executive signing in the East Room in February, Trump recalled his offers to both Obama and Biden. 'This was going to be the reception room,' he said referring to his idea for a revamped East Room that would have served as the entrance to the ballroom he proposed. He said the East Room felt "too crowded." In June, Trump announced in a Truth Social post that he had 'inspected" the site, which according to a White House official, is located on the east side of the White House. Trump also highlighted his construction and real estate credentials in the post, saying no president before him had "any knowledge or experience in doing such things." Leavitt said "discussions about how to execute this plan (for a ballroom) are ongoing." Trump's day job may have changed to more weighty subjects, but passion projects from his former life are still what bring him joy, he recently mused on Truth Social. "These are the 'fun' projects I do while thinking about the World Economy, the United States, China, Russia, and lots of other Countries, places, and events," he wrote. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Dave Ramsey Says Tariffs Are A Lot Of Saber Rattling, Grenade Throwing And Chaos, But Actual Net Result Is Zero
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