What is the Liverpool City Region Mayoral Election?
What is the role of the Mayor?
- Authority over public transport within the region including bus routes and train timetables. The Liverpool metro mayor also works closely with neighbouring authorities through TFN (transport for the north) to improve wider northern transport networks.
- Planning of public areas and housing estates (including council housing).
- Making decisions about the Environment and Energy resources (for example, distributing funding to assist eco organisations through the community environment fund).
- Powers over policing and crime. Since March 2019 the police and crime commissioner role for the Merseyside Police is incorporated into the role of the metro mayor.
- Works with the government to decide how social care and health care is delivered in the city region.
- Distributing funds to businesses to create jobs and apprenticeships (for example, through the adult education budget).
- Stimulating cultural life within the city region through competitions and arts awards.
- Tackling homelessness through housing schemes (for example, through the housing first scheme).
- Approving development of digital infrastructure within the region,
Why is voting in this election important?
As exemplified above, the Metro Mayor holds significant domestic powers which can directly affect the lives of the 1.5 million residents of the Liverpool City Region.
In an unprecedented national health crisis, the powers of the Metro Mayor over healthcare have never been more important.
With just 26.1 percent of those eligible to vote in the 2017 mayoral voting, it is vital that turnout increases in order to ensure that everyone’s democratic voice is heard and that whoever is elected mayor has a clear mandate to carry out their vital responsibilities.
Those living in within the City Region – consisting of the authorities of Halton, Liverpool, St.Helens, Sefton and Wirral.
To vote in the election you must:
- be registered to vote
- be 18 or over on the day of the election (‘polling day’) (16 or over in Scotland)
- be a British, Irish, Commonwealth or EU citizen
- be registered at an address in the area you want to vote in
- not be legally excluded from voting
Who are the candidates in 2021?
The above are listed in alphabetical order. Please remember there are also ‘minor’ and independent candidates too!
