(Samaj Weekly)- Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester has urged the people of the West Midlands to get behind Labour’s Shadow Mayor and vote for Liam Byrne MP in May’s election.
He was speaking at an online meeting of the Selly Oak Labour Party which was hosted by Steve McCabe MP. He called for the second and third great regions in the country to put rivalry aside and work together.
Burnham said: “We need the leading cities in the country to work together. We represent millions of people and thousands of businesses. Our cities and towns are the heartbeat of our regions and the heartbeat of our nation.
“Too often the government makes decisions that ignore the needs of our great city regions. We are the people who can lift the country from the bottom up.
“With Liam as the West Midlands Mayor, we will have a powerful ally. The people of Greater Manchester face the same problems as those found in the three cities of the West Midlands, Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton together with the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall.
“We won’t accept a London-centric view of regional government. Too many decisions are made without a proper understanding of the role our big city regions make in producing the prosperity and innovation which will power our economic future.
“We just won’t roll over and accept whatever the government gives. Liam will stand up for the West Midlands, not just stand by.
“I have known Liam since we worked together in government. He has lots of ideas, he is committed, and he knows how to get things done,” said Andy Burnham.
Liam Byrne MP, Labour candidate for West Midlands Mayor, said:
“I am looking forward to working with Andy for the good of our great cities. Standing side by side we can stand up to a Conservative government together.
“Following in Manchester’s footsteps, I want to make the West Midlands a force to be reckoned with. I am fed up with our region being ordered around by Westminster. I want to drag the power out of London and give it to the people of our great regions.”
