Greater Manchester to have an elected mayor

Power. Is it better in the hands of one person or a collective? Is the public better served by local or centralised power, or a mixture of both? 

Today, George Osborne announced that Greater Manchester will be served in future by an elected mayor. She or he will have power over policies on transport, social care, police budgeting and housing. The mayor will oversee the new Greater Manchester Combined Authority, a council made up of the leaders from our 10 local authorities. The first election won't be until 2017.

Sound good? George Osborne thinks so. He describes it as 'a massive moment for the North of England.' How you feel may depend on how you voted two years ago, when the majority of people in the region were against such a move.

So, what do you think?