Serving as the region’s first mayor has been the honour of a lifetime, especially as someone who genuinely believes there is nowhere better in the world to spend your time – especially on a sunny day. It is a place with so much to offer.
Tackling inequality, driving inclusive growth and ensuring that we leave the next generation and the planet with a better inheritance than we received are at the core of my politics and my administration.
I want to make the Liverpool City Region the best place to grow up, grow a family, and grow a business.
Since I was elected, we have helped 60,000 people into jobs; rolled out world-class publicly owned trains; helped to build 30,000 homes for families to put down roots; helped hundreds of thousands of our residents get new qualifications and begun the process of bringing our buses back into public control.
These are just a few examples of what we can do as a city region with important decisions being made locally.
But that is just the start.
Transformational projects have been delivered in every borough of the region, which would not have been possible without a mayor or devolution. Our local councils are all pulling in the same direction, shaping the next phase of our development.
And we now have a government that wants to work with us to deliver economic growth.
The Liverpool City Region is a place steeped in history, a place full of pioneers and talent. While we are proud of our history, we are ready to look forward to an even brighter and more prosperous future.
We are ready to become a hub of economic growth through investment in new jobs, digital infrastructure and transport, a leader in the transition to renewable energy, become the best place for businesses to invest, and build on our vision for a city region that embraces innovation at every step.
This Corporate Plan is our blueprint for getting there.
It clearly articulates a programme of innovation, investment and improvement that will set us up for success for years to come.
The election of our new government, which shows signs of being the most pro-devolution Britain has ever seen, offers the chance to turbocharge our work. Rather than working with one hand tied behind our back, we can work hand in hand with them.
Working alongside our Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, and his new cabinet, I will ensure that the next chapter in our illustrious history will not be written for us in Westminster or Whitehall – but by us here in the Liverpool City Region.
Steve Rotheram
Mayor of the Liverpool City Region