‘ The next generation has expectations of a better world and they deserve it’

BORN and raised in West Yorkshire, I still live and work here, running one of the biggest councils in the country.

I’ve been the proud leader of Bradford Council for four- andahalf years; the first Labour woman in the role. For half that time I’ve also been the chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority – an alliance between the councils in Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Kirklees and Calderdale to push forward on the big- ticket projects we so desperately need.

It has resulted in new railway stations on the network, improving walking and cycling routes, an award- winning workable plan to tackle the climate emergency, improving the skills of our region and boosting the economy.

But during that time we have continually had to bid into central pots of money, jumping through hoops for scraps of cash to spend on the projects that Whitehall wants delivered in the Whitehall way. Yet look over the hill and other regions have had the money and powers to be the masters of their own destinies.

That is why I, as chair, went from West Yorkshire down to Whitehall to demand devolution, for money to spend on what local people need. And we got it – £ 1.8bn of it. This money will help produce job opportunities for local people, as well as the regeneration of our towns and cities.

I’m proud to say it’s the biggest devolution deal anyone has ever negotiated and gives us the opportunity to bring lasting benefits to all our communities; large and small, urban and rural.

It took three years of negotiations and three Secretaries of State to get to this moment, but all that time gave me the opportunity to dream big about how the region could utilise devolution.

Those dreams are now translated into the plan for West Yorkshire economic recovery, setting out what the region could achieve if I become West Yorkshire Mayor.

As well as making links in London, I’ve also carved alliances across the North. I’ve always been glad to come home again, but it is crucial to work with others. If Bradford and Leeds hadn’t worked together, we would never have landed the Channel 4 bid. We don’t live our lives by county boundaries. Train lines, bursting rivers, coronavirus, child poverty and health inequalities have no respect for them. These issues would all be at the top of my agenda as mayor.

I want to work together to build a future of hope and opportunity for all, firmly based on the Green Industrial Revolution, to save the world from environmental disaster.

I intend to upskill our workforce so that workers are equipped to retrofit at least 700,000 of our homes with better insulation and central heating.

This plan is key to reaching our goal of achieving net- zero carbon by 2038, but it also brings down our bills, makes our homes more efficient and creates new jobs.

I would commit to reviving our town and city centres by delivering an affordable transport system which connects every village, town and city to economic and social opportunity.

I know how frustrating and expensive it is trying to get from my home in Windhill to Bradford city centre five miles away on a bus, never mind to Wakefield or Halifax. Given the amount the public purse is now spending on buses, we have to have more local public control over their operation. We also need to build the world- beating mass transit system that West Yorkshire deserves, and the electrification of our vital railway lines, such as the Calder Valley line.

Austerity, Brexit and Covid have all presented tremendous challenges to our region. Left

The next generation has expectations of a better world and they deserve it.

unchecked, there are deep splits that could create lasting division and disharmony.

I am determined, that if elected, I will ensure that the role of mayor is used to bring unity. We’re all Yorkshire and the pride that we have for our county harnessed with the radical improvements we all deserve would enhance that sense of purpose.

If devolution is to succeed, we all need to work together and be confident of our place in the world. We need our villages and towns to prosper, with no one left behind and if we achieve that our cities will benefit as well.

The next generation has expectations of a better world and, for all they’ve been through, they deserve it. We need a cleaner, greener economy fit for the challenges of the 21st century. Better skills to take advantage of better job opportunities. We need fairness and equality within and between our different communities. This is my mission. Let us be bold and seize the opportunity now.