West Yorkshire Mayoral hustings: Why consensus on local issues is good for region: Greg Wright

The current mayor – Labour’s Tracy Brabin – was joined by the Green Party’s Andrew Cooper, Liberal Democrat Stewart Golton and the Conservative candidate, Arnold Craven, at KPMG’s office in Leeds for a debate which attracted the great and good of Yorkshire’s business community.

As moderator, what struck me was the large number of issues on which the candidates spoke with one voice; they all wanted to improve skills and training and ensure young people did not become disillusioned with politics at a time when the turnout in local elections remains depressingly low.

The tragedy of modern Britain is that political debate has become poisoned by the narrative of conflict, with Brexiteer pitted against Remainer and the Woke battling the anti-Woke, at a time when most of us agree about the stuff that needs fixing; we require, for example, a functioning public transport system and a vast improvement in many public services.

The bitter, unproductive, shouting matches which we witness in national politics can be replaced by constructive conversations at local level.

That is not to say, of-course, that there will never be fiery debate or controversy in local election campaigns. Politicians are constantly challenging their opponents’ policies and arguments in order to advance their own careers and ensure voters get a fair deal. Politics, at every level, can be a brutal business.

The election for West Yorkshire Mayor will be held next month, and whoever wins will provide a single voice for West Yorkshire, alongside wielding powers in relation to transport, economic development, the provision of skills training and housing. These are all issues that matter a great deal to the business community.

What fascinated Beckie Hart, the CBI’s regional director, about the hustings was the “non profit related” questions from the businesses in the room on the role the mayor can play in ensuring West Yorkshire is a thriving region.

The businesses wanted action to destroy health inequalities and provide a boost for social care while helping young people get jobs through an efficient public transport system. They were keen to see extra support for employees health and well-being through the provision of sustainable affordable housing.

This enlightening event reflected well on the CBI and its partners from the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses, Make UK and Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce who helped organise it.

With a general election looming, political passions will soon reach fever pitch.

But we must never forget there is still a path that can be walked towards consensus and collaborative action to ensure our streets are safer, our businesses flourish and the buses run on time.

Greg Wright is the deputy business editor of The Yorkshire Post