- What’s the story of your campervan, Peggy?
Peggy the Peugeot. I’m currently sat in Peggy at the moment on my travels around the county, 1000 stops in a 100 days trying to reach every single community, however small, however remote, in every single corner of North Yorkshire. I think it’s incredibly important that the new Mayor connects with every part of this vast region, it is the largest mayoral area in the country.
I think all the other candidates have said North Yorkshire is too big to reach everywhere. I’ve said, it’s too big not to reach everywhere. We have to confront, head on, the fear that the new Mayor will be this distant, remote entity, sat in an office, firing orders off, actually, you know, getting out there, speaking to people, being visible, proactive, approachable. And that’s been the ethos of my campaign, and that’s how I hooked up for it.
I have done 9884 miles to the clock [in Peggy]. Since I started on my travels, I’ve met people of all backgrounds, all walks of life in different parts of the county, some amazing people, amazing stories. It’s just powered me forward through what’s been quite a gruelling campaign. There has been lots of positivity out there which has been really good and really reassuring, and really positive.
- How do you think having an elected mayor would benefit York and North Yorkshire?
Well we’ve seen billions of pounds go into the cities since they’ve had mayors. In recent years, we’ve fallen further and further behind without having a Mayor. We’ve been, I think, disadvantaged by government funding formulas for many, many years. This now is our chance. With powers, with money, with the voice of a Mayor standing up for the region, we have all the components we need to succeed.
I suppose that in itself isn’t going to lead to success, it’s going to require a Mayor with drive, determination, and the energy to get out there to get things done. That’s what I’m hoping to bring to the table. Clearly, the election of the Mayor is the key component here. And, yeah, it’s going to be a key determinant of our success or otherwise.
- Your plan for North Yorkshire includes bold claims about spending, including building ‘half price homes’, free car parking for every town and city, expanding bus services (with a £1 cap for under 22s). How will all of this be funded?
So, we’re securing significant money from central government, which is fantastic, and we can use that money to leverage even more from the private sector. So you look at the Mayor’s first term, so 2024 to 2028, the amount the mayor will have in their at their disposal is £600 million. That is a lot of money.
And I don’t think the other candidates understand just what we can do. One with the money, but two with the powers which we are securing. I’m very ambitious. I’ve got a bold vision for York and North Yorkshire, in a way, I don’t think any other candidate does, and I want to maximise this opportunity. And that means big ideas. It means a bold vision. I’m not shy about that, if we want to put this region on the map, we need to be bold. We need to be ambitious for the future.