Guy Renner-Thompson has launched his manifesto for the North East Mayor as Conservative activists hold action days across the region.
Guy said “My campaign isn’t just about me, it’s about working with our Conservative team across the North East to get our wonderful Police and Crime Commissioner's, Councillors and MP’s elected in the upcoming local and national elections. It was great to see so many people out supporting each other across the region this weekend”
On his manifesto Guy said “The North East is a region with a proud history. Celts, Romans, and Vikings. The Cradle of Christianity, The Dukes Of Northumberland and the Prince Bishops of Durham. The home of the Industrial Revolution and the Welfare State. The North East has been leading Britain for centuries.
Our new Devolution Deal, delivered by your Conservative Government, is the next chapter in our long story. The deal unlocks £4.3 billion of investment and transfers power from Whitehall to local leaders with real knowledge of what our communities need and want.
I am one of those local leaders. I was born here. Went to my local school here. Run my construction business here. I will always stand up for the North East like I’ve stood up for Bamburgh, the community I was elected to represent in 2017.
The Government expects the deal will create 24,000 extra jobs, create 70,000 skills courses to get people into good jobs and leverage £5.0 billion of private sector investment. But I know we can do better than that.
I’m a Conservative because I know our party is the party of aspiration and opportunity. The party of the hand up, not the handout. The party of hard-working people who want to be able to own their own house, send their children to a good school and live in a safe neighbourhood. And for too long the Labour Party has failed those people in the North East and taken the region for granted.
As the Councillor responsible for education in Northumberland I’ve overseen our schools climbing the league tables. Under Labour in 2017 only 76% of schools were being rated ‘Good’ or ’Outstanding’. Now that figure is 95%. I’ve started employer forums and opened world-class manufacturing training facilities, which industry leaders have said are the best training facilities in the country. I want to expand this upgrade in education across the region.
Unlike Labours candidate, I will never use my power to raise council tax or business rates. My Regional Transport Strategy will bring back control over bus routes, fares and timetables and link those buses with more trains and new stations on the East Coast Main Line and a reopened Leamside Line in Durham. But I will never penalise the motorist with low traffic areas or “Clean Air Zones” which just line the pockets of local councils.
I will launch new a new Mayoral Development Corporation to regenerate our industrial heartlands and make the North East the home of the jobs of the future, and bring in a Small Business Grant Scheme to help our rural and urban businesses.
Our region is unique. Deep water ports give our industry access to the world. Our universities are global leaders in their fields. Our beautiful countryside helps feed the nation and attracts millions of visitors every year.
But there is still work to do. I have a detailed manifesto that will set us apart from the crowd. I am a proven local politician with a track record of improving lives. I can lead the North East into a thriving future to live, work and raise a family."
The full manifesto can be found here - https://www.guyrennerthompson.uk/ourplan
