Mayors to Be Allowed to Hand Out Grants From a Share of Tax; Perth Asks if It Can Have a Mayor, Purely for the Grants
English regional mayors are getting more financial freedom. Perth, which does not have a mayor, would like one, and has already bought a chain.
A ceremonial chain of office, of the kind Perth hopes to fill. Photo: Tom Parnell, “Perth City Hall - composite view from W”, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Regional mayors in England are to be given a share of tax income, which they could use to give grants to residents and businesses, under new government plans.
Perth does not have a mayor. Perth would like one.
“I’m not saying we need one for the power,” said a Perth man in the Tesco car park. “I’m saying if there’s a mayor and a pot of money, I’d like to be standing nearby with my hand out.”
Perth has a Lord Provost, of course, and a very fine one. But the city’s residents say a mayor sounds more American and would look good on a T-shirt.
Applications for the imaginary post have already come in. One Kinross woman said she would stand on a single policy: free parking at the Thimblerow car park every Saturday before Christmas. A Scone man said his policy was “more benches, closer together”. A retired postman from Craigie said he simply wanted “to cut a ribbon once”, and had already bought scissors.
The Scottish Government has no plans to give Perth a mayor. The Perthetic has bought a chain anyway, from a charity shop on Scott Street. It is a dog lead, but it’s very shiny.
The real story: Mayors to get tax share for grants (BBC Politics)
Letters to the Editor
The views expressed are those of the reader, and frankly that's on them.
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I volunteer. I’ve got a chain already, it’s off the bathroom plug, but it’s a start.
— Gordon B., Bridgend, 2 November 2026 -
Perth had a Lord Provost for centuries. They can just put a new hat on him and call it a mayor.
— Rachel P., Scone, 2 November 2026 -
As long as the grants go to the Christmas lights and not another consultation about the Christmas lights.
— Willie D., Craigie, 2 November 2026
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