Thursday 4 May 2017

Mayoral race: Who are the candidates?

VOTERS around the West Midlands are today voting for the region's first every Mayor
If you haven't cast your ballot paper, Other Side of Solihull has prepared this brief guide to the six individuals vying for your vote.
Polling stations will be open until 10pm.

James Burn (Green): 
Background: One of a slate of Green councillors elected in North Solihull, he has represented the Chelmsley Wood area since 2014 and now leads the party's contingency in the council chamber. A qualified social worker, he also runs his own small business.
Manifesto: He has frequently spoken about the need to tackle inequality within the region and said it is of vital importance that poorer areas aren't left behind. He is in favour of an investment bank to help finance firms, a greater emphasis on the environment and putting more measures in place to hold the Mayor to proper account. He has vowed to only take £28,000 in pay - the average for the region.

Peter Durnell (UKIP):
Background: Up until a few years ago, Mr Durnell's career had been entirely in computing - starting as a trainee in West Bromwich more than 30 years ago. He has previously stood for the Eurosceptic party in both local council and Parliamentary elections.
Manifesto: Has said that he would replace political correctness with "respect and common sense" and that he is a strong advocate of letting the people decide. An ardent opponent of HS2, he has also spoken in favour of making the education system more flexible and cutting red tape for businesses after Brexit.

Beverley Nielsen (Lib Dems):
Background: The only woman in the race, Beverley has an eclectic CV - having previously worked for US Vogue in New York and co-ordinated the satellites for the famous Live Aid concert. She has also worked for the CBI, a leading business body, and for the past decade has been a director of Birmingham City University.
Manifesto: She has seven key areas that she has said she will focus on and made efforts to tackle congestion and pollution a key pillar of her manifesto launch. She has talked about a cycle hire scheme - Beverley's Bikes - which draws inspiration from a similar initiative in London. She has also pledged free bus passes on the first Saturday of every month and the creation of a £1billion innovation fund.

Sion Simon (Labour):
Background: After graduating from Oxford, Mr Simon worked as a speechwriter, policy advisor and journalist. Formerly the MP for Erdington, he left Westminster in 2010 to campaign for a role similar to the one he is now standing for. He has continued to be involved in frontline politics as a Member for the European Parliament (MEP).
Manifesto: His policies include a freeze on public transport charges, nationalising the M6 toll road (it is currently run by a private company) and a second runway for Birmingham Airport. He has also pledged to push for more generous funding for the region, believing the current system is unfair, and wants to introduce a Living Wage for the region.

Graham Stevenson (Communist Party):
Background: Comes from a family of miners and engineers. A Communist since his school days, Mr Stevenson has been active in both the trade union movement and various political groups. He is now on the Communist Party's national executive committee.
Manifesto: Graham will push for local ownership of bus and rail operators, arguing that this will present the opportunity to reduce fares. He has also spoken about the importance of decent wages, tackling air pollution and providing more affordable housing.

Andy Street (Conservative):
Background: Starting as a trainee at the John Lewis Partnership, Mr Street worked his way up the company and was eventually appointed chief executive a decade ago. He stood down from the position to seek the nomination as the Conservative candidate. He has also chaired the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership and in 2015 received a CBE for services to the economy.
Manifesto: Mr Street has said he wants to make economic growth in the West Midlands the fastest of any region in the UK by 2020. He also intends to build 25,000 new homes in the same time frame, take steps to tackle youth unemployment and improve transport links by bringing disused rail lines back into use.

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