On 26th March the VS6 Partnership hosted the first Metro Mayor Hustings event of the 2024 campaigning period in Liverpool City Region (LCR), focusing on key issues facing the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector.

The event, held in Liverpool Cathedral and chaired by VS6 Partnership Chair Dr Ellen Loudon, was attended by over 70 representatives from the VCFSE sector and Metro Mayor candidates from all four major parties*:

• Jade Marsden – Conservative

• Tom Crone – Green

• Steve Rotheram – Labour

• Rob McAllister-Bell – Liberal Democrats

Metro Mayor candidates had the opportunity to provide opening and closing remarks, as well as participate in a “Q&A” session in which our VCFSE attendees were able to put forward 6 questions to candidates covering a broad range of topics concerning groups in the City Region. These questions included the cost of living crisis, climate change, VCFSE funding, equalities, social capital and children & young people.

In addition to the discussions, candidates were invited to sign the latest LCR VCFSE Manifesto which is due to be published in the coming weeks to show their commitment to working closely in partnership with the VCFSE sector in the next 4 years.

Jade Marsden (Conservatives) began her opening statement with a key message around fostering trust between the Metro Mayor office and communities by empowering local decision making, encouraging inward investment, and committing to transparency and accountability. Jade was passionate around making sure that LCR was the most accessible place in the country and was committed to supporting people with additional needs such as unpaid carers, people with both physical and learning disabilities, and children and young people. Jade also spoke about ringfenced investment for the VCFSE sector to improve equalities in the City Region. Building trust in politicians was a key priority for Jade, who emphasised that the VCFSE sector should be able to hold the Metro Mayor to account with the sector having a voice in decision-making.

Of the VCFSE Manifesto, Jade said “The manifesto shows a group of people that know their sector inside and out.”

Green Party candidate Tom Crone spoke highly of the important role that the VCFSE sector has in supporting communities in the City Region and his own experience of establishing groups in his current ward. Tom wanted to provide communities with the freedom to make their own improvements, with the VCFSE sectors understanding of the needs of communities being crucial to unlocking this potential. This also included policies around a 4 day working week, a citizens income (not means tested) with more free time for people to engage in volunteering. Tom’s vision of a cleaner and fairer City Region touched upon a number of different areas including greener, more accessible public transport, fuel poverty, and ensuring that young people who will face the burden of climate change in the future play an active role in our democracy. 

Reflecting on the VCFSE Manifesto, Tom said “The VCFSE Manifesto matches closely with the Greens desire to create a fairer, greener City Region”.

Current Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram spoke of the work and progress to date that the Combined Authority has achieved since it’s inception, and highlighted the important working relationship that he has with developed with the VCFSE sector and other sectors including universities and businesses. In terms of funding for the sector, Steve reflected upon the pandemic highlighting how the VCFSE sector “propped up the country” and how the Combined Authority levelled the playing field for the sector by improving access to funding and grants, such as the #LCRCares funding. Steve discussed the potential for working closely with local authorities for targeted interventions for specific groups, such as carers, developing a mechanism for community transport officers to benefit from green transport funding, and adopting recommendations from the Cheshire & Merseyside State of the Sector report and our manifesto.

Steve was keen to continue working with the VCFSE sector if he was elected once more, stating that “Liverpool City Region has been on a very long journey – we are here now”.

Rob McAllister-Bell (Liberal Democrats) expressed his desire about wanting to do more to help support communities to be more involved in politics, citing statistics claiming that LCR is the lowest city region for numbers of people planning to vote. Rob talked about transformative change to unlock peoples potential, stressing how communities are facing “unbelievable” choices in the face of the cost of living crisis and the need to make sure that LCR receives its “fair share of funding” from central Government. Rob see’s working with the VCFSE sector as an important part of his vision for a Metro Mayor, including ensuring the VCFSE sector is “fit for purpose” with sufficient resources to avoid it becoming even more stretched. Putting equalities at the heart of policy was also a key priority for Rob, who wants LCR to become a disabled friendly City Region and to expand Liverpool Pride into every borough.

Steve was keen to continue working with the VCFSE sector if he was elected once more, stating that “Liverpool City Region has been on a very long journey – we are here now”.