BCP Council is pushing hard for a devolution deal to create a directly elected mayor covering Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole, Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset, chief executive Aidan Dunn said in his first Echo interview since taking office. Speaking alongside council leader Millie Earl, Mr Dunn said all four councils had backed plans to pursue a Wessex devolution deal and BCP was "all guns blazing" to win mayoral powers or risk missing out. BCP Council chief executive Aidan Dunn and council leader Millie Earl (Image: A Millard/ BCP Council)Mr Dunn said the Government wants "every area" to have a mayor, warning that more powers for existing mayoral authorities — possibly including income-tax revenue — could create a "two-tier system" and leave BCP and its Wessex partners behind. Without a Wessex mayor, the region could miss out. A mayoral deal could bring major investment and local decision-making powers, backing growth, infrastructure and public services with greater local accountability.