On Thursday 4 May 2017, Greater Manchester will elect its first Mayor. The creation of a directly elected Mayor is part of the process of devolving more political powers to the Greater Manchester area, helping development towards a "Northern Powerhouse".

The promise of local governance is to bring politics closer to the people; making it more accountable to the local community. At a recent CSaP event, Policy Fellow Jeremy Skinner of the Greater London Authority (GLA) made the case for a further devolution of powers.

With the prospect of devolution on the horizon and the greater local power that it would entail, attendees at a recent CSaP Policy Workshop on Cambridgeshire housing policy were keen to form stronger links between policy and academia.