First term (2017–2021)
In 2016,Rotheram said he intended to stand for the Labour nomination to become Liverpool City Region mayor in the 2017 mayoral election,and was selected as the Labour candidate in August 2016. [16] [17] He announced that he would not seek re-election as a Member of Parliament if successful in the Mayoral Election. Rotheram was subsequently elected mayor in 2017. In September of the same year,he was named at Number 73 in 'The 100 Most Influential People on the Left' by LBC. [18]
Rotheram's first months in power were focused on setting up the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Improving the region's transport infrastructure and connectivity was a pillar of his mayoral campaign and became the primary focus of his first term in office. In 2019,alongside Andy Burnham,he led a successful campaign to strip Northern Rail of their franchise,after services had become blighted by disruption. [19]
During his first term,Rotheram oversaw major upgrades to the Merseyrail network in preparation for the introduction of a 52-strong fleet of new trains,the result of a £460 million investment by the Combined Authority [20] and the opening of the first new station on the network in over 20 years at Maghull North station. [21]
In 2019,Rotheram introduced half-price travel for apprentices aged 19-24 and launched Be More,a UCAS-style apprenticeship portal. [22] [23] In his Mayoral campaign,Rotheram pledged to address “the scandal of rough sleeping in Liverpool City Region”and in 2019,he launched the first phase of the Housing First programme in 2019,an £8 million pilot scheme providing homes and support to homeless people across the region. [24]
In 2019,the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority became the first in the country to declare a climate emergency and has set a target to be net zero carbon by 2040 or sooner. Rotheram has said he “wants Liverpool City Region to be at the forefront of the Green Industrial Revolution”by investing environmental projects,improving public transport and exploring the potential for a tidal project in the River Mersey. [25] In December 2022 Rotheram stated that he hoped the tidal power project could be generating electricity by the end of the decade. [26]
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic,Rotheram accepted a deal with the British government in October 2020 to place the Liverpool City Region under Tier 3 restrictions,following a sharp rise in cases across northern England. Despite facing strong criticism for agreeing to impose restrictive measures on the region,he was successful in securing additional government support for businesses affected by the restrictions. [27] Following his re-election,he announced a £150 million COVID Recovery Fund to support the economy and create jobs as the region emerged from the pandemic. [28]
Second term (2021–2024)
In the election of 6 May 2021,Rotheram was re-elected for a second term with an increased majority [29] [30] bucking the national trend against Labour in traditional heartlands. [31] In his manifesto,Rotheram made five key pledges:helping the city region bounceback from COVID,supporting young people into education or training,improving public transport,leading the race to net-zero and improving digital connectivity. [32]
Hillsborough Law
In January 2022, Rotheram, alongside Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, renewed calls for a Hillsborough Law to ensure fair treatment for people bereaved in public tragedies. [33] The campaign was later supported by Keir Starmer who stated at Labour party conference in 2023 that "one of my first acts as Prime Minister will be to put the Hillsborough Law on the statute book". [34]
On 6 October 2023, Rotheram delivered on a key manifesto pledge and voted to end 40 years of bus deregulation in the Liverpool City Region, using the powers in the Bus Services Act 2017 to bring services back into public control. [35] The move was supported unanimously by leaders of the city region’s local authorities and was welcomed by local passenger groups who argued the announcement would be “transformational for passengers”. [35]
New trains rollout
In January 2023, the first of the British Rail Class 777 trains went into service on the Merseyrail network, following a £500m rail investment from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. The early rollout of the battery-operated trains was marred by cancellations and faults. [36] [37] In November 2023, Rotheram spoke of his frustration at the roll out and criticised train manufacturer Stadler and demanded immediate improvements for passengers [38] and later announced a package of compensation for the most affected passengers and a fare freeze across the Merseyrail network. In the intervening months, performance on Merseyrail improved sharply, with train punctuality returning to the mid-90% and Merseyrail regaining its status as one of the best performing operators in the country. [39]
Liverpool Strategic Futures Advisory Panel
Following government intervention into Liverpool City Council, Rotheram was appointed by Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Greg Clark to chair the Liverpool Strategic Futures Advisory Panel to develop a long-term plan to guide Liverpool City Council out of the current government intervention and help shape the future of the city. [40] Rotheram was joined by Baroness Judith Blake and Sir Howard Bernstein and set out three keys priorities for the city rebooting Liverpool’s regeneration, 21st century public service reform, and turbocharging the innovation economy. [41] The work of the Panel was welcomed by leader of Liverpool City Council, Liam Robinson who heralded a “new era of partnership working” across the city region [42] and Michael Gove announced a £31m investment in the city to kickstart regeneration across the city and a commitment to work with the city region to develop an Office of Public Service Innovation. [43]
Third term (2024–present)
In February 2023, Rotheram announced his intention to stand for a third term as Mayor [44] and was re-selected unanimously as the Labour candidate in March. [45] His campaign included a pledge to drive up foreign direct investment into the Liverpool City Region by 25% by the end of the decade and a commitment to build 3 new stations on the Merseyrail network at Carr Mill in St Helens, Woodchurch in Wirral, and Daresbury in Halton. [46] [47]
A further pre-election announcement was made regarding plans to improve connectivity to Liverpool John Lennon Airport and the city’s football stadia by introducing bus rapid transit, similar to that which operates in Belfast. The announcement was met with mixed reception with some welcoming plans to address a strategic transport priority, whilst others accused the pledge of lacking ambition. [48] [49]
Rotheram was re-elected at the 2024 Liverpool City Region mayoral election. [50] He was elected with 68% of the vote and was declared the winner on 4 May 2024.
