Humber Bridge toll: Tory candidate for North Lincolnshire mayor plans to try to abolish Humber Bridge toll 'on day one'

North Lincolnshire Council leader Coun Rob Waltham made the remarks during the first debate of the mayoral campaign, organised by E-Factor and hosted at Parkway Cinema, Cleethorpes.

He cautioned, though, it was linked to the bridge’s continued construction debt.

It was not the only policy pledge made by the three candidates who bid for the business-oriented audience’s votes.

From a business start-up and growth fund, to signing up to businesses’ calls for a Humber Estuary Growth Zone, to trying to get rid of the Humber Bridge’s toll, here is a lowdown of policies pledged at the Cleethorpes debate, by each candidate.

There are four candidates announced so far in the race to be Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire. Lincolnshire Independents’ Marianne Overton’s candidacy came after the debate was organised.

Dame Andrea Jenkyns – Reform UK

The former Conservative MP – and before that, a Lincolnshire councillor – had perhaps the biggest policy list spelled out on the night. She pledged the creation of a business start-up and growth fund, to support new businesses. She also called for an annual Great Exhibition of 1851-style event “of all the great businesses of Greater Lincolnshire”.

Other policies featured included:

• The creation of a Greater Lincolnshire Business Association, saying currently, things “are not joined up”.
• A Skills for Lincolnshire Board, to help tackle the county’s “brain drain”.
• A Transport for Lincolnshire board, which she likened to working a little like Transport for London.
• “We need to look at business rates,” she also said, calling them “a nightmare for businesses”. The Mayor has no power to reduce business rates themselves, they can only seek to add a charge onto it.
• She also talked of a ‘Lincolnshire DOGE’, referring to US President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency run by Elon Musk, to look at waste in local government.
• In answer to a question on where her loyalties would lie in a conflict with party policy, she said: “I’ve said to Nigel [Farage], don’t expect me to be a party stooge, it’s not in my DNA.”

Jason Stockwood – Labour Party

The businessman, who co-owns a majority stake in Grimsby Town FC, emphasised his non-political roots throughout. He was lighter on specific pledged policies, but was the only one to confirm he signed up to the ‘Humber Promise’ letter.

A host of leading regional business representatives such as from ABP, the Humber Energy Board and Air Products Plc, have called on the mayoral candidates either side of the Humber to sign up to a pledge. This letter, organised by Northern Powerhouse, asked for support for the creation of a Humber Estuary Growth Zone to “maximise the potential” of the likes of the Humber Freeport. And to create an Invest Humber Estuary body to oversee infrastructure improvements.

Mr Stockwood confirmed he had received the letter and signed it. Other policies that featured included:

• Using the £24m a year for 30 years tied into the devolution deal as “seed capital” to attract far greater investment in Lincolnshire.
• On skills, he praised Grimsby’s CATCH, an industry-led partnership supporting training in the likes of the engineering, energy and renewable sectors, as “a great model and we need more of this”.
• He said, “We are in the middle of a new industrial revolution” with AI, and said it was important to take advantage; “I will put technology at the heart of my decisions,” he later said.
• He spoke of an an integrated plan on transport and connectivity within the first 90 days, and then prioritise.
• He also pledged to be independent-minded as Mayor, and if he did not win, he would not stand again.

Coun Rob Waltham – Conservative Party

Coun Waltham said looking at the Humber Bridge toll “would certainly be on my list of things to tackle on day one”. However, as former chair of the Humber Bridge Board, he said: “The problem is the debt still exists.”

He said the last time this debt was reduced by Government was under the Coalition Government, and indicated it would need a similar intervention. Other policies he brought up included:

• An investment plan for every place, appearing to match this to local authority areas, saying he would want one for North East Lincolnshire.
• Opposition to solar farms and onshore wind, while supportive of offshore wind – planning applications will remain decided by local councils and government, though.
• Noting Lincolnshire had over 10,000 young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), he said, “For those young people, we’ve got to give hope.” He wanted to get tower and wind blade manufacturers in the county.
• On transport connectivity, he said, “It’s almost like choosing your favourite child”, on the number of different things that needed doing. His main focus would be north-south connectivity.
• On where his loyalties lay in a conflict with party, he said: “I’m a Lincolnshire lad and Lincolnshire comes first frankly.”