Liam Byrne named as Labour’s West Midlands mayoral candidate

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Liam Byrne named as Labour’s West Midlands mayoral candidate

Picture copyright PA Media Pictu


Liam ByrnePicture copyright
PA Media

Picture caption

Liam Byrne has been the MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill since 2004

Labour’s candidate for the West Midlands mayoral contest has been introduced as Liam Byrne, the MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill.

He was endorsed by the social gathering forward of different potential candidates Salma Yaqoob and Pete Lowe.

The workplace is presently held by Conservative Andy Avenue, who was elected because the area’s first mayor in 2017.

He’ll stand for re-election on 7 Might in opposition to Mr Byrne.

The Liberal Democrats have put ahead Beverley Nielsen as their candidate and Kathryn Downs will stand for the Inexperienced Get together.

The profitable candidate will head up the West Midlands Mixed Authority (WMCA) which incorporates seven native authorities: Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Dudley, Solihull, Sandwell and Walsall.

‘There isn’t any cash’

Mr Byrne, 49, has represented the Hodge Hill constituency since 2004. In 2010, departing from his workplace as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, he left a note for his Liberal Democrat successor, David Legal guidelines, studying: “I am afraid there isn’t any cash. Variety regards – and good luck! Liam”.

He mentioned his foremost goals, if he’s elected as mayor, embrace tackling homelessness and knife crime within the area in addition to making the West Midlands “the world centre of inexperienced manufacturing jobs”.

Final yr, he known as for tougher action to stop people dying on the streets through the adoption of “Kane’s Law” – named after Kane Walker who died close to Birmingham’s Bullring in January 2019.

Mr Lowe, who had the backing of Unison, has spent almost 15 years as a councillor in Dudley and former activist Ms Yaqoob, who had beforehand served as a councillor in Birmingham, had been supported by the Unite union.

She was additionally the previous chief of the Respect Get together, a left-wing social gathering based by George Galloway in 2004.

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