Have your say at the ballot box

The election on May 1st of a Metro Mayor for most of the West of England is an important event for the business community and I know people will take great  care to study what the candidates have to offer. I think party political allegiances are less important in this case, than the ability of the incoming Mayor to fulfill two important roles which will have an enormous influence on how the area develops and whether we get the chance to enjoy the benefits of long-term sustainable growth.

Those roles are to be a skilled collaborator, bringing together the political leadership of the participating local authorities, Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire and to be an effective spokesman for the West of England on the national stage. Both are equally important, but let’s take collaboration first.

The concept behind the creation of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) and other similar bodies across the country was that national Government would devolve greater powers to regional politicians who had greater detailed knowledge of what was required in their patch and who could decide on matters such as transport across the sub-region.

But problems arise when there is limited funding, which cannot meet all the demands that are coming in across a range of subjects and tensions inevitably arise among the constituent members. Should resources be shared out “fairly” across the area, or should they be focused on certain areas which generate the greatest economic benefit ? The rules are being changed so that some decisions don’t need to be unanimous, but the issues are still bound to be hotly debated and a consensus will have to be found.

The second role for new Mayor is to raise the national profile of the West of England. We have phenomenally successful businesses working across a variety of sectors and are one of few areas outside London, which actually contributes financially to UK plc. However, if you look at the national press you will be hard pressed to see very much coverage of our successes, which are usually overshadowed by noise from Mayors representing the Northern Powerhouse, Greater Manchester and the Midlands.

This is not to suggest we seek a Mayor, bent on an ego-trip, but rather that they establish themselves as a national figure to allow them to fight our corner, highlight our strengths and win the sort of major investment we need for things like infrastructure and put us on a par with other regions, which have quite frankly done a better job of selling themselves than we have.

Ask questions if you get a chance, consider what the candidates have to say on these points and make your vote count on election day.