Yorkshire Party promises free chickens for 2,000 homes as it announces mayoral candidate

Keith Tordoff MBE has announced he will be the Yorkshire Party candidate to lead the North Yorkshire joint authority and has already made a list of ambitious pledges. Mr Tordoff, 67, a former police officer who worked on the Peter Sutcliffe case, has also been a specialist fraud investigator for banks.

Born and raised in Leeds, he is proud of his Yorkshire heritage and even brags that he ‘never goes abroad’ due to his fondness for his home county. Having previously stood in elections to be the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, coming third in 2021, he feels he is the best candidate to lead North Yorkshire.

“Ultimately, Yorkshire ought to be brought together under one mayoral authority and if I were elected I would work with other mayors in the region to achieve that so it ends up with the best in charge of Yorkshire,” he said.

Mr Tordoff criticised the government’s record on ‘levelling up’, adding: “They haven’t delivered on it. They’ve had ample time to do it now, so it needs somebody with a bit of drive, passion and who is able to negotiate to get a better deal for Yorkshire.

“There needs to be someone, such as myself, with some honesty, integrity, and who will deliver. Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens aren’t going to do that.”

One of his policies involves poultry.

“2,000 households, where suitable – we’ll provide you with three chickens; that’s 6,000 chickens,” he said. “Those households, in a short space of time, would have eggs with all the nutrients they need.”

Mr Tordoff claims it would save 100 tonnes of food waste each month and improve the health of poorer households. His four main pledges are ‘to make North Yorkshire an economic powerhouse’, ‘improve transport links’, ‘make North Yorkshire a safer place’ and ‘make North Yorkshire a world leader in sustainability’.

Other initiatives he outlined to the Yorkshire Post included free public transport for those under 18-years-old, as well as free membership at boxing clubs, drama clubs, art groups and gaming rooms.

To fund these ambitions, Mr Tordoff is relying on his negotiating skills to get more money for North Yorkshire. He has also pledged to set up a York and North Yorkshire venture fund lobbying the government for an additional investment of £25 million.

Yorkshire Party co-leader, Dr Bob Buxton, said: “Keith is the clear alternative to the Tories in North Yorkshire. His experience, skills and passion make him ideally equipped to take on the complex challenges that come with being the first Mayor of North Yorkshire. He is a man who sees the big picture but also has the critical skills to understand the details and ensure that the solutions are the right ones.”