Liverpool City Region Mayoral election: Who will you vote for this May?

Wirral residents will vote for their choice for Liverpool City Region Mayor on 6 May 2021. On the same day as the Metro Mayor election, Wirral residents will vote for a new Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner, as well as local councillors in each of Wirral’s 22 wards.

The Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region is a combined authority mayor or ‘metro mayor’, who chairs the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. The first, and current, office holder is Steve Rotheram, who was elected to the post in May 2017.

The Liverpool City Region is a combined authority region of England, centred on Liverpool, incorporating the local authority district boroughs of Halton, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens, and Wirral.

How to place your vote for Liverpool City Region Mayor: You can vote for your first and second choice candidate. Mark a cross in column 1 next to your first choice candidate. Mark a cross in column 2 next to your second choice candidate. Your first and second choices should be different. It is not compulsory to vote for a second choice. Whether or not you choose to make a second choice, your first choice will still be counted.

There are four candidates standing for the post of Mayor of the Liverpool City region. They are listed below in alphabetical order by surname:

• Gary Cargill Green Party
• Jade Marsden Conservatives
• David Newman Liberal Democrats
• Steve Rotheram Labour

Gary Cargill – Green Party Metro Mayor Candidate

I am determined to stand up for the people of Liverpool, Halton, Knowsley, St Helen’s, Sefton and The Wirral to make it a cleaner, greener, better place for everyone.

My biggest goal is to get the whole city region Carbon Neutral by 2030; ambitious but achievable! This will involve many changes, but the biggest benefit to everyone will be the upgrade of all homes to “Passive House” standards so that energy is no longer lost to the environment. This means cheaper bills and less fossil fuel burning at power stations, a massive win for people and the planet.

I’m not funded by corporations or unions, but by the people of the city region, who deserve a better city region – the only way to do this is to vote Green.

Jade Marsden – Conservative Party Metro Mayor Candidate

I grew up in Liverpool and have lived here my entire life.

I have three children and I am very concerned about the future they will have growing up in the area.

Young people are consistently failed in parts of our region with poor performing schools, lack of SEND provision, and in some districts dangerous streets that they can’t play out on for fear of crime or gang culture.

I will make my region a better place for these young people by ensuring they are given the opportunity to grow and develop in a way that will give them the tools to be happy, healthy adults.

My region has some of the worst health outcomes in the country, yet we have some of the best hospitals and health professionals.

As a community we must work together to make the changes needed so that we have improved air quality, better mental health awareness and support. We have amazing parks and cultural areas, let’s utilise them better.

I feel for the elderly members of our community, who are so often forgotten while politicians focus on the 18-24 age group. I want our more experienced members to take a more prominent role in our community. These people can educate our younger members whether it be about the history of their area, or simply giving them advice about life in general.

I know if we involve everyone in our community, young or old, we can make our region a better place to live with everyone being given the opportunity to shine!

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David Newman – Liberal Democrat Party Metro Mayor Candidate

I’m David Newman, and I’ve stepped forward to be the next Metro Mayor of Sefton, Liverpool, Wirral, St Helens, Knowsley and Halton.

I’ll be honest.  I wasn’t meant to be standing in this election.  30-year-old Wirral Councillor, Andy Corkhill, was the Liberal Democrat candidate until a couple of weeks ago.  He sadly had to withdraw because of a long fight with cancer and is recovering from a very serious operation. 

However, I’m here because I want the Liverpool City Region to step forward.

I live in Southport with my young family.  My partner and I are fortunate to work, own a house and live a happy and healthy life.

But for many across Merseyside and Halton, circumstances, not least caused by Covid-19, are leaving people behind. 

This region requires real leadership. Someone who offers a real direction, tackles the climate emergency, fixes our broken transport network and offers hope to many businesses affected by Covid-19.

I’m ready to step forward. Are you?

Steve Rotheram – Labour Party Metro Mayor Candidate

As Metro Mayor my number one priority has always been to stand up for everyone, in every part of our great city region.

Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, I’ve stood up for our region, taking on Boris Johnson and the Government to win more funding and support for our councils. I’ve also invested more than £40m to keep the local economy afloat and put together exciting plans to help the region recover.

If I’m re-elected, I’ll deliver a £150m COVID Recovery Fund, double the number of green jobs in our region and work to build a London-style transport system with more local control.

In this election we need to send a message to the Government that they need to support areas like ours as we rebuild from coronavirus. If you give me your vote on May 6th. I will continue to stand up for you and together we can make sure Liverpool City Region is a place where no one is left behind.

Steve Rotheram unveiled five key campaign promises:

1. £150m Covid Recovery Fund to fund projects that will power our economic recovery and create new jobs for local workers. 
2. A Young Person’s Guarantee: a guaranteed job, training or apprenticeship opportunity for every school leaver out of work for more than six months.
3. A London-Style Transport System: bringing together our buses, trains, ferries and cycling routes together – under local control – to provide a genuine alternative to the car, including contactless payments, daily fare caps and new Merseyrail stations.  
4. A Green Industrial Revolution: A plan to reach net-zero by 2040 or sooner, double the number of green jobs in the city region, and continue to develop the transformative Mersey Tidal project. 
5. A Digitally connected city region: complete the installation of a comprehensive ultra-fast broadband network to all six areas of the city region and support programmes to tackle digital exclusion.

Council elections will be taking place in all 22 Wirral wards on the same day:

Bebington – Bidston and St James – Birkenhead and Tranmere – Bromborough – Clatterbridge – Claughton – Eastham – Greasby, Frankby and Irby – Heswall – Hoylake and Meols – Leasowe and Moreton East – Liscard – Moreton West and Saughall Massie – New Brighton – Oxton – Pensby and Thingwall – Prenton – Rock Ferry – Seacombe – Upton – Wallasey – West Kirby and Thurstaston

The Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner election will also take place on the same day:

• Kris Brown  Liberal Democrats – Councillor for Woolton, Liverpool City Council
• Emily Spurrell  Labour – Councillor for Mossley Hill, Liverpool City Council
• Bob Teesdale  Conservative – Association Secretary for Southport Conservatives

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