Concerns repeatedly raised by councillors across Cheshire and Warrington have been ignored as the new Shadow Combined Authority unilaterally decided against nominating any opposition councillors to the authority’s board of decision makers prior to an election of a Mayor in May 2027.
Cheshire West and Chester Councillor Lynn Gibbon (Marbury, Con), Shadow Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, Regeneration and Digital Transformation, spoke at the first meeting of Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority Shadow Board on Friday 31 October 2025 to urge it to broaden its representation to include elected councillors who do not have formal administrative roles for better governance and oversight.
At present, the Shadow Board includes only the Leaders and Deputy Leaders of the three constituent councils. That means the largest opposition groups in Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire East and Warrington Borough Councils, representing tens of thousands of voters, have no voice at the table.
Seeking to persuade, Cllr Gibbon commented with passion that:
“Establishing the Combined Authority is a major step for Cheshire and Warrington — one that could unlock real opportunity for our residents. But for that opportunity to mean something, it must be built on democratic strength — and that’s where I believe this Board has a serious weakness.
“Without formal opposition representation, there is no internal challenge. And challenge is not a nuisance; it’s the foundation of good governance. It strengthens decision-making, increases public confidence, and protects this Board from the perception of groupthink or bias.
“I therefore urge colleagues to consider a simple, constructive step: open the Shadow Board to include the Leaders of the largest opposition groups in each constituent council, at least as non-voting members or formal observers. This would mirror arrangements in some other Combined Authority transitions, such as early Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire Combined Authority committees which included opposition observers.
“If we want this new Authority to succeed and endure, it must reflect the full democratic voice of Cheshire and Warrington from the very start. Doing so would show a genuine commitment to transparency, inclusivity, and mature regional leadership — qualities that will be essential when we move to the full Combined Authority.”
Summarising, Cllr Adrian Waddelove (Farndon, Con), Opposition Group Leader of Cheshire West and Chester added afterwards that:
“The election of Mayor in 2027 and creation of the new Combined Authority for Cheshire and Warrington is the single biggest change to our local governance for over 50 years. Residents rightly expect that this Shadow Board will comprise of cross-party members to deliver the right solutions and best value for money in this transitional time.
“Nonetheless, the appointments today represent a lack of crucial democratic oversight. The only non-Labour representative on this board just so happens to prop up a failing Labour administration in near-bankrupt Cheshire East Council. This is a failure to engage collaboratively and cross party, unlike where we have previously seen in Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire and only causes more concerns about this new body to grow.
“When people like the Labour Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, whose only experience in running local government organisations of this scale or budget lies in Labour politics, are being invited to sit on this board while opposition councillors with collective decades of experience are ignored, one has to ask: who are they seeking to represent? Themselves or residents?”
