METRO MAYOR CANDIDATES SET OUT THEIR POLICIES
WITH the contest to become the Liverpool City Region’s metro mayor candidate being held on May 4 next year the Weekly News has rounded up what the candidates’ campaigns have said about their commitment to helping Halton.
And with two-thirds of votes to be cast outside the city in the other five boroughs of Halton, St Helens, Wirral, Sefton and Knowsley, the contenders may have to win over a good portion of residents outside the metropolitan heartlands. All three candidates are Labour. In alphabetical order, Joe Anderson is the serving Mayor of Liverpool and his manifesto has eight references to Halton, which is one of the areas he has earmarked for a mayoral development zone.
He also mentions the importance of Sci-Tech Daresbury for driving innovation and industry and his transport strategy includes a commitment to working with the Welsh Government to complete the Halton Curve rail upgrade.
On energy, Mr Anderson’s manifesto says he would deliver a joint programme between Halton, Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral to draw investment for a programme of tidal and wind power along the River Mersey including a potential tidal barrage.
Runcorn receives six mentions including in the context of the Halton Curve while Widnes has three.
The phrase ‘city region’ is used 113 times.
Mr Anderson visited Runcorn in March to attend the debut screening of a promotional video for the Unlock Runcorn canals regeneration scheme, during which he hailed the ‘fantastic initiative’ and showed further support by tweeting a picture of himself alongside Halton Borough Council leader Cllr Rob Polhill and Runcorn Locks Restoration Society chairman Graham Wallace.
Cllr Polhill is quoted in Mr Anderson’s manifesto as calling for ‘better connected and more affordable bus services’.
Setting out his vision for working for the whole city region, he said: “We need a strong voice to fight for every corner of the city region, not just Liverpool, as the results will benefit every one of us.
“I look at it this way – we can get on the bus or be left at the bus stop.
“I want Parkside in Newton-le-Willows to flourish, see improvements and growth in Kirkby and Bootle, Southport and Wirral and (for) our friends in Widnes and Runcorn.
“If we work together we will be a force to be reckoned with.”
Luciana Berger, Wavertree MP, visited Halton at the start of July within a week of launching her manifesto including a stop at a community centre.
On Friday, July 8, she was at All Saints CE Primary School on Church Street in Runcorn from 8.15am to launch her manifesto pledge to create a city regionwide breakfast and school holidays club to make sure ‘no child goes hungry’.
During the visit she said the city region should serve ‘every corner’ of the area and with the benefits of devolution ‘spread evenly’ across the six boroughs.
A press notice had also been issued to