12/09/2026
Mike Starkie welcomes fiscal devolution plans but says Cumbria must get a deal built for Cumbria
Conservative candidate for Mayor of Cumbria, Mike Starkie, has welcomed the Government’s announcement that more tax raised locally could be retained by mayoral areas, describing it as “a step in the right direction” while arguing that Cumbria must secure a settlement designed around its own economy rather than simply copying city regions.
For over a decade, Mr Starkie has argued that more of the wealth created in Cumbria should stay in Cumbria, despite other candidates dismissing the idea.
He said: “I welcome the principle that more of the tax raised and collected in Cumbria should stay in Cumbria.
“That is something I have argued for over the last decade and have emphasised from the beginning of this mayoral campaign, even when other candidates dismissed it.
“At the recent hustings, the Labour candidate said I ‘did not have a hope in hell’ of securing fiscal devolution. It is encouraging that even the Labour Prime Minister now appears to be moving much closer to the approach I have been advocating.”
Mr Starkie said Cumbria should no longer be expected to send so much of the wealth it creates to Whitehall before having to compete to get a share of it back.
“Cumbria should not have to send so much of the money generated here to Whitehall and then queue up to ask for some of it back.
“I have always believed that real devolution is about control as well as cash. If Cumbria keeps more of the money generated here, then Cumbrians should decide how it is used.”
He argued that any fiscal devolution settlement for Cumbria must reflect the county’s unique economy.
“The proposal to return a portion of income tax is welcome, but it will inevitably have far less impact here than it will in major city regions like Greater Manchester, with a working population of almost two million, compared with around 300,000 in Cumbria.
“Cumbria has a much stronger case for retaining a share of the VAT generated here. We welcome around 20 million visitors every year, generating an estimated £900 million in VAT receipts from our tourism industry alone. There is a compelling case for a proportion of that money to stay here and be invested back into the communities and infrastructure that support one of Britain’s most important visitor economies.”
Mr Starkie said his approach was fundamentally different from those proposing new local taxes.
“I am the only candidate who has committed to no mayoral council tax precept and no tourist tax.
“I do not believe Cumbria’s future lies in finding new ways to tax local families, businesses and job creators. My approach is to bring investment into Cumbria, not taxes onto Cumbrians.”
Drawing on his business background and record as Mayor of Copeland, Mr Starkie said fiscal responsibility must remain at the heart of any new powers.
“I have spent years building and running businesses, creating jobs and carrying the responsibility of making sure there was enough money in the bank to meet the payroll.
“I know that every extra cost placed on a business can affect its ability to invest, take on another employee or increase someone’s wages.
“When I was Mayor of Copeland, I balanced the books, kept council tax down, secured major investment and protected, invested in and improved frontline services without simply asking local people to pay more. We did that without borrowing money and without leaving the council with debt.
“That experience has taught me to respect every pound and never forget that every pound of public money first had to be earned by a person or a business.”
Looking ahead, Mr Starkie said his first priority would be using any new fiscal powers to strengthen Cumbria’s economy.
“My first priority would be to use these new powers to improve transport and infrastructure, help businesses grow, create good jobs and give our young people more opportunities to build their futures here.
“But if we get that right - if we grow our economy, attract investment and keeping more of our own tax revenues means Cumbria has more money than it needs to deliver those priorities - then local people should share in that success.
“That could mean investing further in projects that generate even more growth. It could also mean reducing the tax burden on hardworking Cumbrian families by returning money directly to taxpayers.
“The important point is that those decisions should be made here in Cumbria by people accountable to Cumbrians, not dictated by Whitehall.
“This is not about carbon-copying London or Manchester and pasting their solutions onto Cumbria. We need a model built for Cumbria, by Cumbria, rooted in our own economy, our own geography and our own priorities.
“That, to me, is what real devolution means: bringing investment into Cumbria, keeping more of Cumbria’s money in Cumbria and making sure ordinary Cumbrians who work hard, play by the rules and create our success are the ones who benefit from it.”
