New East Midlands authority’s six Mayoral Election candidates formally announced

East Midlands Combined County Authority had its first meeting in March at Chesterfield Borough Council’s Town Hall, bringing together representatives from four agreed local authorities – Derbyshire County and Derby City councils, and Nottinghamshire County and Nottingham City councils – with the new authority’s first Mayoral Election due to follow on May 2.

The six nominated Mayoral Election candidates were formally announced on April 5 as: Conservative Ben Bradley; Labour’s Claire Margaret Ward; Liberal Democrat Helen Louise Tamblyn-Saville; Independent Matt Relf; Green Party member Frank Adlington-Stringer; And Reform UK’s Alan Graves.

An EMCCA spokesperson said: “A new regional mayor would give us a bigger voice, more influence, and a higher profile across the country. It would create a single point of contact for businesses and other organisations looking to move into our region or expand. A regional mayor would help us speak with one voice and help us make a strong case to the Government for more investment in the East Midlands.”

MP and Levelling Up Minister Jacob Young previously signed regulations confirming the region will receive £1.14bn investment fund through the new East Midlands authority.

The candidates

Conservative Ben Bradley, of Newark and Sherwood, in Nottinghamshire, is currently the Conservative Mansfield MP and Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council.

Labour’s Claire Ward, also of Newark and Sherwood, is the Labour Party’s former Watford MP .

Liberal Democrat Ms Tamblyn-Saville, of Bassetlaw, in north Nottinghamshire, is described on the Bassetlaw Liberal Democrats’ website as the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Bassetlaw and Prospective Parliamentary Candidate.

Ashfield Independent Matt Relf, of Sutton in Ashfield, in Nottinghamshire, is currently an Ashfield District councillor.

Green Party member Frank Adlington-Stringer, of Wingerworth, Chesterfield, is a NE Derbyshire District Councillor.

Reform UK’s Alan Graves, of South Derbyshire, is a Derby City Councillor and Derby’s Mayor.

A devolution deal leading to the creation of EMCCA has been signed and agreed by the four councils with a guaranteed funding stream of £1.14bn to be spread over 30-years with devolved powers around transport, housing, skills and adult education, economic development and net zero targets.

Derbyshire, Derby, Nottinghamshire and Nottingham councils will still oversee many public services but EMCCA will deal with broader issues like transport, regeneration and employment.

EMCCA’s interim finance representative Mark Kenyon told the new authority’s first meeting that funding for the 2024-25 financial year would total £56m with plans to spend £46m of that total with the remaining £10m to be held over for the next financial year.

The newly-appointed EMCCA Mayor will focus on transport, net-zero targets and housing, improving lives, and championing major infrastructure projects and they will have closer links to Westminster so they will be better placed to lobby Government. EMCCA’s longer term aspirations include seeking more powers from Westminster and placing more decisions at local level as devolution has done with the West Midlands and in Greater Manchester.

The EMCCA Mayor is to be elected by residents in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Nottingham in the hope that whoever is elected will have greater influence over the issues which affect residents and the region.