The Case for Change

We've Done This Before. We Can Do It Again.

This city region once built the infrastructure that powered global trade — with private capital, free trade, and minimal regulation. It generated more revenue for the national Exchequer than anywhere else in the country. The talent, the assets, and the location haven't changed. What's changed is that we replaced enterprise with bureaucracy.

What Managed Decline Looks Like

While Manchester has grown at 3% annually, attracted global investment, and franchised its buses — Liverpool City Region has watched its productivity gap widen, its business density stagnate, and a quarter of its working-age population sit on the economic sidelines.

£17bn

GVA gap between where we are and where we should be

15%

productivity gap — widening every year

97,000

people on out-of-work health benefits

73 weeks

average major planning decision — vs 13-week target

Six Principles for Growth

Not ideology — just what works. Every principle is grounded in evidence, addresses a specific failure, and sets a target above the UK average.

Every Borough Matters

This is a plan for 1.6 million people, not just the city centre. Every borough has assets, challenges, and a role in the growth story.

How A Mayor Actually Does This

The metro mayor has real powers — transport, planning, skills, economic development, housing, and the convening authority to bring the city region together. The question isn't whether the tools exist. It's whether anyone's willing to use them.

Transport

The mayor controls transport strategy, bus service standards, Merseyrail oversight, and capital investment in transport infrastructure across the city region.

How We Use It

Launch Enhanced Quality Partnerships in year one — enforceable standards and integrated ticketing with private operators investing and competing. Structure rail expansion as PPPs. Push for NPR delivery. Target £140/head effective transport investment through private leverage.

Strategic Planning

The mayor has powers over the Spatial Development Strategy — effectively the masterplan for where development goes across the city region.

How We Use It

Use the SDS to designate growth zones with simplified planning. Fast-track strategic sites. Seek development corporation powers for Liverpool Waters and Wirral Waters. Target: 10,000 homes/year.

Skills & Employment

Devolved Adult Education Budget and influence over skills commissioning across the city region.

How We Use It

Redirect skills funding to employer-led provision. Lobby for tax relief on employer training investment. Make the city region affordable so graduates stay. Target: 72% graduate retention, 46% NVQ4+.

Economic Development

The mayor leads the Freeport board, Investment Zone strategy, and inward investment for the city region.

How We Use It

Push the Freeport from its current limited model to genuine free trade zone status — a unique asset for the city region. Use Investment Zone to attract corporate R&D. Target: R&D/GVA to 2.5%, digital sector GVA to £6bn.

Housing

Mayoral Development Orders, Homes England partnership, and strategic housing investment.

How We Use It

Use MDOs to fast-track housing on strategic sites. Set a 10,000 homes/year target. Partner with Homes England on brownfield-first delivery across all six boroughs.

Convening & Lobbying

The mayor is the single voice for 1.6 million people. That convening power — with government, investors, and institutions — is the most underused tool in the box.

How We Use It

Be in Whitehall every week fighting for deregulation, not subsidies. Convene employers to lead skills and health reform. Pressure councils to cut local red tape. The benchmark is world-class — every target above the UK average, every pound delivering maximum value.

The Delivery Timeline

Not a 10-year strategy document. A concrete plan with actions that start on day one.

1

First 100 Days

Launch Enhanced Quality Partnerships for buses across all six boroughs
Establish Freeport 2.0 taskforce — negotiate enhanced freedoms with government
Publish city region growth targets — every metric set above the UK average
Convene employer skills summit — begin redirecting AEB to employer-led provision
Set up one-stop business registration portal and announce business rate holidays for startups
Freeze the mayoral precept — signal fiscal discipline from day one
2

Year One

Spatial Development Strategy designating growth zones with rules-based planning in every borough
Seek development corporation powers for Liverpool Waters and Wirral Waters
Commission private back-to-work providers on payment-by-results basis (priority: Liverpool, Knowsley, Halton)
Launch enterprise mentorship network — 500 business mentors recruited from the private sector
Submit NPR investment case — structured for private co-investment alongside public funding
Audit all local licensing regimes — begin 50% red tape reduction across six boroughs
3

By 2028

Quality partnerships operational across the city region — better services through competition and private investment
PPP agreements signed for new Merseyrail stations (Baltic Triangle, Wirral Waters)
Freeport enhanced freedoms secured — investment pipeline doubled
Housing delivery at 7,000+/year and climbing toward 10,000 through planning reform
Business density climbing past 20th — on track for top 10 with lowest startup costs in the North
4

By 2032

GVA per head reaching £28,000 — closing on the UK average through private sector growth
Economic inactivity below 18% — delivered by private providers and welfare reform, not state expansion
All six boroughs with measurable improvement in key economic metrics
Northern Powerhouse Rail in build phase — PPP-structured, leveraging private capital
Liverpool Waters and Wirral Waters mid-phase delivery — private investment creating thousands of homes and jobs