Will Mayoral Combined Authorities transform place-based growth and development in England? Five big takeaways from LEDC’s episode with NECA CEO Henry Kippin

Mike Spicer
Apr 25
6 min read

Henry Kippin, CEO of the North East Combined Authority (NECA) has probably had unique experience, having discharged senior roles in no fewer than three Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) in the last eight years: West Midlands (WMCA), North of Tyne, and now NECA. In this month’s guest episode, we explore Henry’s insights on some of the biggest issues facing MCAs: their ability to catalyse economic transformation; MCA leadership roles in their regions; their relationships and positioning, literally from global to local. Here are five of the five big ticket issues surfaced by Henry that merit further thinking and development in all our work.

LEDC's top takeaways from Henry Kippin on the role of MCAs in powering local growth, and economic development in North East England

Mayoral Combined Authorities might provide an enduring, effective solution to the long-running institutional instability of England’s intermediate tier of governance. The country has operated ‘bigger than local’ economic development, public service, and other official strategic bodies for many decades now but few have survived changes of national government. LEPs, RDAs, Regional Assemblies, LSCs, TECs…England’s economic development sector has seen its fair share of three-letter acronym organisations. But are we now headed into calmer institutional waters, with solutions that evolve, rather than change abruptly?

Henry sees Mayoral Combined Authorities as addressing the fundamental issues that undermined the longevity of previous intermediate tier organisations. These include (i) achieving critical mass across functional geographies, (ii) democratic legitimacy through the mayoral mandate, and (iii) including local authorities as constituent members, ensuring buy-in.

MCAs can be a platform for increasing powers and resources at the sub-national level as government confidence in them grows. But perhaps the real tests are yet to come. Can MCAs address tensions between national, regional and local priorities with just existing powers and freedoms, and without fiscal devolution and autonomy? As creatures of legislation, majority-funded nationally, will they escape the policy churn that has bedevilled earlier regional models – especially in the event that larger mayoralities are captured by controversial opposition figures with national ambitions?
MCAs are about more than devolution deals. They need to be the ‘keeper’ of the regional narrative, an accelerator of positive change and development, and a primary interface with government: Henry makes this case strongly, drawing on both evidence from the three MCAs in which he has participated, and more widely. Newer, emerging CAs need to formulate and agree visions and strategies with priorities that will necessarily sequence investments and benefits to different geographies and communities over time. This is as much about relationships and process as it is about content and analysis. And it goes well beyond orthodox LED agendas – with increasing expectations on areas like public services reform, health and care integration, and often Police and Crime Commissioner roles.

At the same time, building a capability to intervene catalytically and decisively (the accelerator role), while demonstrating prudent stewardship of public funding, is far from easy – and perhaps requires particular skill sets and aptitudes from sector professionals. This institution-building work sits alongside actually delivering devolution agreements to the satisfaction of Government with national as well as regional and local value-add.
‘Day One’ isn’t forever – use the devolved powers and tools you have but always be formulating and articulating propositions for long-term system change: The England devolution proposition is continually evolving – albeit often with Greater Manchester at the forefront of Combined Authority models. Henry’s strong advice is to make the most of wherever you are on the devolution journey, rather than holding back waiting for the elusive ‘perfect’ solution.

The North East’s journey – with its three cities, coastal, rural and border communities is very different from a tightly-drawn city region with long-term political continuity like Greater Manchester. In the last decade it has gone from a non-mayoral NECA to North of Tyne/South of Tyne differential settlements, and now to a mayoral NECA. It hopes to move to an integrated settlement in 2026, with wider powers, influence and resourcing regimes thereafter. All CAs should demonstrate effectiveness with their existing settlement whilst building the case for further improvements and enhanced devolution in the future.
Although MCAs have widely differing levels of devolution agreement and institutional maturity, you can make progress rapidly with a compelling strategy and strong partnership working: An extension of the first point, Henry’s point of well-merited pride is just how quickly NECA has moved from being a ‘new-kid on the block’ – Mayor Kim McGuiness only being elected in April 2024 – to being in the leading cohort of MCAs. A single settlement is expected in the Spending Review to commence from April 2026.

As other areas transition to CA institutional leadership, they can build on track records of partnership working at sub-regional levels, on previous Economic and Industrial Strategies (some of which may have been produced by LEPs), on local place-based anchor institution collaboration within the area, to rapidly move into more sophisticated and mature agreements with Government and other partners. However, referring to point 3, this is not about cloning GMCA – but rather adapting the lessons of other geographies and institutions to make sense locally, regionally and nationally in your specific contexts.
Perhaps the North East is on the cusp of a genuine renaissance in economic performance and inclusive growth: In recent decades, the North East has typically delivered poor comparative outcomes across a breadth of social and economic metrics – despite often appearing to have strong assets, capabilities and relationships. Henry’s optimism about the North East’s future is evidenced and well-founded – rooted in a strong profile of emerging industries (e.g. clean energy, electrification and batteries, advanced manufacturing); its values and convictions for sustainable and inclusive growth; and an outward-looking relevance for the North, the UK and a wider North Sea economic geography. Henry believes a purposeful, effective MCA with democratic mandate, and involvement across the whole of its geography, can be a catalyst to the North East’s transformation. For the two of us – both working regularly in and with the North East – and we hope for many other LEDC listeners, we share Henry’s enthusiasm for future North East success.

Concluding remarks

Beyond the five takeaways above, the episode touches on a breadth of other important issues – pan-regional working, the relations of MCAs with local authorities and places, the critical importance of building human and social capital; the different LED and placemaking skills required to be effective at MCA/intermediate tier level. We consider this another signature episode, and it merits a much longer blog and further deliberation – many thanks to Henry for his participation.

Do listen (or re-listen) to the episode. Which of the many issues would you like us to return to in future episodes, shots and blogs? And what do you think of the points made? How do they resonate or differ from your own experience and current challenges, either in your MCA (at whatever stage of maturity) or in your economic geography? And what is the relevance of the England experience for the devolved nations and further afield? Please let us know and lets keep the discussions going.