Like Owl you may be totally confused about what significance FSAs, MSAs and EMSAs have in the context of English devolution, where we are and what to expect next.

In this Post Owl will attempt to clarify things.

Alphabet soup: FSAs, MSAs and  EMSAs are stepping stones on the pathway

It is no secret that tensions exist within Whitehall over implementing the Government intention to devolve power to English regions, These revolve around relinquishing power whilst retaining parliamentary accountability. 

These tensions are evident not only in the complexity of the nuanced terminology but also in the way the picture is evolving from legacy deals, bespoke agreements now colliding with Rayner’s local government reorganisation. There appears to be a lot of “ad hocery” going on as Whitehall tries to bolt it all together.

A good example of this can be seen under “Cornish Exceptionalism “at the very bottom of this post.

Devolution is now expected to move up a gear as a result of statements made by Andy Burnham that rewiring Britain is one of his main aims. So things could all change again.

The Greater London Authority (GLA) and the new mayoral strategic authorities share the same overarching classification as “Strategic Authorities” but (of course) the GLA operates under a different governance frameworks to the rest. So let’s forget about the GLA and start at the bottom.

Foundation Strategic Authority (“FSA”) 

This is where we are in Devon with the recently created “Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority. This is an FSA and therefore only given limited powers and funds. It is the first rung on the ladder and it is envisaged that most FSAs will “build local capacity and partnerships as a stepping stone towards mayoral devolution“.

FSA’s do not have Mayors. Their job is to set out a vision for growth and develop a Spatial Development Strategy in their area, and develop partnerships, essential to move to the next step. Who those partners might be is subject to the eventual reorganisation outcome in Devon. [FSAs also need to prove they are financially trustworthy].

Interesting to note that Plymouth did not show any collegiate spirit and join this enterprise but continues plotting to expand into the National Park and the South Hams.

As a result it has, so to speak, been left high, dry and voiceless in the devolution stakes.

• Lancashire Combined County Authority is the only other current FSA

Devon is ahead of many of its immediate neighbouring authorities, e.g. Dorset, Somerset & Wilts.

FSAs exercise 23 out of a possible 60 functional devolved powers (23%). See table at the end of this post to see what powers are devolved within nine policy areas. Possibly an important one for Devon is devolution of the core Adult Skills Fund.

Mayoral Strategic Authority (“MSA”)

All existing mayoral combined authorities and mayoral combined county authorities have been automatically classified as MSAs – unless they are selected to become EMSAs (see below)  having demonstrated the necessary governance, delivery and compliance credentials.

Funding for MSAs will be determined through periodic spending reviews covering areas such as local growth, place, housing and regeneration, non-apprenticeship adult skills, and transport.

They have elected mayors and exercise about 80% of full power.

Think of these as a sort of probationary phase.

Here is a list of current MSAs:

• York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority
• East Midlands Combined County Authority
• West of England Combined Authority
• Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority
• Tees Valley Combined Authority
• Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority
• Greater Lincolnshire Combined Authority
• Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority
• Cumbria Combined Authority
• Sussex and Brighton Combined County Authority
• Hampshire and the Solent Combined County Authority

Established Mayoral Strategic Authority (“EMSA”)

This is the highest tier of devolved regional government under the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026. The EMSAs benefit from the most funds and powers under the Act’s standardised three-tier devolution framework, including in respect of transport and local infrastructure, skills and employment support, housing and strategic planning, economic development and regeneration, environment and climate change, health, public service reform and public safety.

They have elected mayors and the key powers they have are:

• Access to a multi-departmental, long-term integrated funding settlement**
• Ability to set the strategic direction of any future programme to support affordable housing provision in their area
• Support to establish a public sector land commission
• Devolution of Growth Hubs funding

Here is a list of current EMSAs.

• Greater London Authority (GLA)
• Greater Manchester Combined Authority
• West Midlands Combined Authority
• West Yorkshire Combined Authority
• North East Combined Authority
• Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
• South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority

Governance & Accountability

The introduction of a mayoral system whilst simultaneously eliminating District Councils under Rayner’s LG reorganisation has raised questions about democratic control. “One Mayor to Rule them All” published by the Constitution Society warns that we are moving away from a parliamentary system towards a presidential one for local government.

So far the existing Mayoral Strategic Authorities are run with the elected Mayor chairing a cabinet. The cabinet’s function is to provide “checks and balances” through the power of veto over some aspects of the Mayoral budget. The cabinet comprises the leaders of the constituent local authorities. The Mayor is permitted to appoint key non-elected Members from business and have powers to appoint private-sector experts to specific delivery bodies such as commissions or to chair advisory boards.

It is a legal requirement for strategic authorities to have an Oversight and Scrutiny Committee and an Audit Committee, and some authorities also hold ‘Mayor’s Question Time’ sessions for the public and media to hold Mayors to account.

The snag with this model is that, as districts are abolished, the democratic pool from which the cabinet is chosen shrinks. Inevitably, ratepayers will be represented by fewer and more remote elected councillors.

For example, the Greater Lincoln Combined Auhority, which is closest in area and population to Devon, is currently an MSA. With the elimination of all its seven district/borough councils it is in the process of moving from a “cabinet” comprising the leaders of these to a “board” comprising two representatives each from the three combined local authorities which have replaced districts and up to six additional members.  

Devolution Framework summary table

You can see from the table there are 60 functional devolved powers grouped under nine funcitonal headings.

Of these: FSAs exercise 23 (38%); MSAs exercise 50 (83%) and EMSA’s all of them.

• Funding and investment; 
• Strategic leadership; 
• Transport and local infrastructure; 
• Skills and employment support; 
• Housing and strategic planning; 
• Economic development and regeneration; 
• Environment and climate change; 
• Health, wellbeing and public service reform; 
• Public safety

Key 

(**) refers to functions for which funding will be included in Integrated Settlements for Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities 

(^) refers to functions which apply to Combined and Combined County Authorities only 

Detail	Foundation	Mayoral	Established
Funding and investment
Access to a multi-departmental, long-term integrated funding settlement**			X
Long-term investment fund, with an agreed annual allocation		X	X
Removal of gateway review from investment fund, after Gateway One complete			X
Ability to introduce mayoral precepting on council tax^		X	X
Consolidation of local growth and place funding in a single pot**	X	X	X
Strategic leadership
A statutory duty to produce Local Growth Plans		X	X
Membership of the Council of Nations and Regions		X	X
Membership of the Mayoral Data Council		X	X
Transport and local infrastructure
Local Transport Authority and public transport functions, including bus franchising and responsibility for an area-wide Local Transport Plan	X	X	X
Simplification and consolidation of local transport funding**	X	X	X
Removal of certain Secretary of State consents, e.g. on lane rental schemes		X	X
Duty to establish a Key Route Network on the most important local roads^		X	X
Mayoral Power of Direction over use of constituent authority powers on the Key Route Network^		X	X
Priority for strategic rail engagement (including mayoral partnerships) with Great British Railways	X	X	X
Statutory role in governing, managing, planning, and developing the rail network		X	X
An option for greater control over local rail stations		X	X
A ‘right to request’ further rail devolution			X
Priority for support to deliver multi-modal ticketing			X
A clear, strategic role in the decarbonisation of the local bus fleet	X	X	X
Active Travel England support for constituent authority capability^	X	X	X
Formal partnership with National Highways		X	X
Skills and employment support
Joint ownership of the Local Skills Improvement Plan model, with Employer Representative Bodies	X	X	X
Devolution of the core Adult Skills Fund	X
Devolution of non-apprenticeship adult skills functions through a consolidated skills funding pot**		X	X
Central convening of youth careers provision including greater flexibility for Careers hubs		X	X
A clear role in relation to 16-19 education and training		X	X
Responsibility for developing local Get Britain Working Plans	X	X	X
Devolution of supported employment funding**	X	X	X
Co-design of future employment support that is additional to core Jobcentre Plus provision		X	X
Delegated delivery or commissioning of employment support that is additional to core Jobcentre Plus provision			X
Alignment of Jobcentre Plus boundaries with Strategic Authorities			X
Housing and strategic planning
A duty to produce a Spatial Development Strategy	X	X	X
Strategic development management powers (once the Spatial Development Strategy is in place)		X	X
Ability to raise a Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy to fund strategic infrastructure (once the Spatial Development Strategy is in place)		X	X
Ability to make Mayoral Development Orders		X	X
Ability to establish Mayoral Development Corporations		X	X
Homes England compulsory purchase powers (held concurrently)	X	X	X
Devolution of wider grant funding to support regeneration and housing delivery**		X	X
Ability to set the strategic direction of any future programme to support affordable housing provision in their area			X
Strategic Place Partnership with Homes England		X	X
Support to establish a public sector land commission			X
Economic development and regeneration
Partnership working with Department for Science, Industry and Technology and UK Research and Innovation to explore opportunities for closer long-term collaboration in strengthening local research and innovation capacity	X	X	X
Develop joint innovation action plans with Innovate UK to shape long-term strategies and investments		X	X
Embed UK Research and Innovation lead points of contact for enhanced collaborative working on innovation with Mayoral Strategic Authorities that are committed to work collaboratively on innovation		X	X
Responsibility as the accountable body for the delivery of Growth Hubs	X	X	X
Devolution of Growth Hubs funding**			X
A Strategic Partnership with the Department for Business and Trade focused on domestic growth, exports, investment, and delivery of local growth priorities.		X	X
Partnership working with Department for Culture, Media and Sport Arm’s Length Bodies to maximise culture, heritage, and sport spending in place	X	X	X
Environment and climate change
Devolution of retrofit funding this parliament subject to a successful transition period (see 3.7)**			X
Heat network zoning coordination role	X	X	X
Coordinating local energy planning to support development of regional network energy infrastructure	X	X	X
Green jobs and skills coordination role	X	X	X
A strategic role on net zero in collaboration with government, including on Great British Energy’s Local Power Plan and Warm Homes Plan	X	X	X
Responsibility for coordinating delivery and monitoring of Local Nature Recovery Strategies^	X	X	X
Health, wellbeing and public service reform
A bespoke statutory health improvement and health inequalities duty^	X	X	X
Mayors engaged during the Integrated Care Boards chair appointment process		X	X
Mayors as members of local Integrated Care Partnerships, and consideration for position of chair or co-chair		X	X
A role in convening partners and driving cross-cutting public service reform, including looking at areas such as multiple disadvantage	X	X	X
Public safety
Mayors accountable for the exercise of Police and Crime Commissioner functions where police force and mayoral boundaries align^		X	X
Mayors accountable for the exercise of Fire and Rescue Authority functions where fire and rescue service and mayoral boundaries align		X	X
A clear and defined role in local resilience, working with the Local Resilience Forum to embed resilience into broader policy and delivery^	X	X	X

Cornish Exceptionalism

Based on their claim to independent nationhood, Cornwall secured an exceptional, Cornwall-only bespoke devolution agreement that avoids the need to merge with Devon or accept a regional mayor. This arrangement establishes Cornwall as a “Single Foundation Strategic Authority “with devolved powers over adult education, transport integration, and green energy.

The Cornish view is that they should be treated as a devolved nation on a par with Wales.

But this could lead up a blind alley.

Sources

Many but these are the principle ones:

English Devolution White Paper

Mayoral Strategic Authorities – Frequently Asked Questions