‘Why I’m ready to lead Norfolk and Suffolk’s new mayoralty’

CLPs in Norfolk and Suffolk are nominating applicants seeking to become Labour’s candidate for the first Norfolk and Suffolk mayoral election next year. You can find articles written by the other applicants here.

In May next year a mayor for Norfolk and Suffolk will be elected for the first time. It’s an important election. As Labour’s candidate I have the determination, the experience and the vision we need to win.

Determination

The most important thing I’ve learned over the years is that you never give up, you always contest every single election, and you go out to win. Every time.

Locally, in 2019 we went from one to five Labour councillors on the district council. Then in the 2023 elections we became a Labour group of 17 and denied the Conservatives their majority. I worked with the Independent group to form a coalition, which I lead, and which is a proven success.

Back in 2019 I was the Labour candidate for Bury St Edmunds in the Parliamentary election. We were told we’d never win a Parliamentary election in Bury St Edmunds. But we fought back against the Greens, who’d made us a target seat, and consolidated our second place. And in 2024, we built on our 2019 campaign and finally won the seat for Labour with our great candidate, Dr Peter Prinsley. That’s the determination I’ve shown. And it’s paid off.

Experience

As well as determination, I have the experience to make a success of the mayoralty from day one. As Leader of West Suffolk, I’ve worked with the other leaders across Suffolk and Norfolk to develop our plans for local government reorganisation. Our proposal for three separate unitaries in each county keeps local accountability, at the same time creating the scale to deliver. This experience of working with leaders from other parties is important because it’s unlikely in the current political climate that any one party will hold power in the region. I will be able to bring all the skills I’ve developed by working together across the political spectrum to the mayoralty.

But the mayor can’t be only inward looking, they also need to work across regions and nationally to gain the best deal possible. Again, I have the experience and skills to do this. Sitting on the board of Transport East, for example, I’m campaigning for improved rail and road infrastructure, such as the much needed extension eastwards to Norwich and Ipswich of the current East West Rail programme, the long awaited Haughley and Ely junction upgrades and the major improvements our roads need.

As part of the management committee of Local Government East (formerly the East of England Local Government Association) I’m promoting our new and improved ask of government with our Opportunity East campaign. And nationally, I’m the elected Eastern voice at the National Association of Regional Employers, working with councils and unions to get the best for our communities across the whole UK.

I can bring all these skills to the mayoralty to make the most of what our region has to offer, and make our vision a reality.

Vision

I’ve been enjoying talking to members across our CLPs and finding out what matters the most. There are four strands that stand out:

• The need for better transport; 
• The need for housing, and especially social housing; 
• Improved skills and education; 
• Joined up working to improve health.

In these areas we can learn from the excellent work of Labour mayors across the country. From Andy Burnham’s Greater Manchester Transport Strategy we can see how locally run transport systems can be transformative; from Richard Parker in the West Midlands we can learn from their £40 million Social Housing Accelerator Fund which will fast track delivery of 1,000 new social homes; and we can join with Tracey Brabin in West Yorkshire campaigning to get improved powers for regions to make local planning decisions, speeding up the delivery of regional projects and investment.

As Labour’s candidate, I’ll be working with our MPs, our CLPs and our councillors to develop a detailed plan to bring the growth we need, so that we can address the social injustice we see and ensure the environment is protected. As one small example of what we can do, I’ll take my own council’s Financial Inclusion Service. Under this scheme, our officers are identifying residents who might not be getting all the benefits they are entitled to, making sure they receive support they need. This is the kind of practical initiative which can be shared regionally to make a major improvement in people’s lives.

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I’ve lived in East Anglia – Norfolk and Suffolk – for over 40 years. It’s a wonderful and varied region, and it takes time to appreciate all we have. To some extent it’s been a forgotten region, and one of the important challenges the new mayor must face is to establish a regional identity. But how do you reconcile the differences between coastal, rural and urban? Between pockets of wealth, and areas of deprivation? Between massive new investment and outdated and creaking infrastructure?

The answer to this conundrum can be found in our people. East Anglians have always been hardy and independently minded. From Robert Kett’s rebellion in 1549 to the Burston School strike of 1914 to 1939, we’ve stood up to tyranny and oppression by uniting and working together. And our diversity has been our strength. So that’s my starting point in establishing that identity – our proud individuality and diversity.

With so much to offer, and working with a Labour government, our region of East Anglia can be an engine for economic growth and social progress. As Labour’s candidate for mayor, I am best placed to win; and once elected, I have the skills and experience to turn our vision into reality.

That’s why I’m asking members across Norfolk and Suffolk to put their trust in me and give me their vote.

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