I’ve done enough to get re-elected, claims mayor
Street ticks off successes before voters go to polls next year
MAYOR Andy Street believes he has “categorically” done enough to be re-elected in next year’s mayoral election.
Pointing to issues such as transport, housing and employment, the mayor said that he was proud of the progress made under his administration, while accepting that there is still work to be done in other areas.
He has asked voters to back him in the election, saying that he wants to continue with the work he has done over the past two years.
Taking office in 2017, the mayor has had several high profile ‘wins’ during his time in office, while also struggling in other areas.
The award of the Commonwealth Games, the establishment of the country’s first 5G network and overseeing one of the fastest growing economies outside of London have all happened under the mayor’s tenure, things his supporters say would not have happened were it not for his role. However, critics will point to the rising number of homeless people
and the lack of progress on youth unemployment – two areas Mr Street promised to improve during the last election – as evidence that the mayor has not lived up to his promises.
Next year will see the region’s second mayoral election, with Mr Street looking to win the confidence of voters in the West Midlands once again after his somewhat shock win in 2017.
This week, the mayor said that he believes he has “categorically” done more than enough to be given another term in office.
“There were some specific deliverables of transport, houses, jobs and training – so let’s just think on transport for now,” he said.
“Public transport numbers are rising, you can see the investment on the ground, and there are more things that will come over the next ten months, like confirmation of the Moseley and King’s Heath stations.
“Then housing. I’ve said in my manifesto that I don’t do the digging, we just create the conditions for it. In 2018 we had the best increase in housing provision of anywhere in the country, and in 2019 we’re set to beat that. So you know the work being done together is there.
“If you look at skills, the number of people with Level 3 qualifications going up over 50 per cent for the first time is significant, as is the number of people with no qualifications going down.
“It hasn’t just happened in the past few years, it’s about building on momentum there. But we have accelerated and we have got new cash into new things, while providing 58,000 jobs over the last two years. So actually I think yes, things have happened that we said would happen.
“And then you take that a bit broader, have I been a champion for the region? Well, on investment, yes I have. I have also tried to be a responsible, moderate leader for the region.
“And some of the things which are not easy to do when you see wrong you call them out, like over the LGBT school protests, I think I’ve done that appropriately – some people have sat on the fence, but I did not.
“So I think I’ve put the case to be re-elected. Because the obvious point is three years is a very short time.
“And if you think, for decades this region was underperforming, and that is a trend that was deep set in, and it’s taken a lot to turn it around.
“And three years is not a long time. But I am very confident we will go to the ballot box next May and say we have started making progress.
“There’s a hell of a lot more to do yet, but we will continue the progress we are on.”