Combined Authority factsheet

Liverpool City Region

In May 2017 Liverpool City Region elected its first metro mayor – Steve Rotheram for Labour. He has control over the whole Liverpool City Region combined authority area and works with existing city leaders and the mayor to take forward their strategic plan. You can find out more about the metro mayors on our FAQ.

The economic and political outlook for Liverpool City Region’s new metro mayor

This page brings together the key facts and figures about the city-region’s economy. It shows what local residents see as the top priorities for the new metro mayor. It also shows what previous elections tell us about voting patterns in the area.

The economic data for Liverpool City Region

Liverpool City Region consists of the following local authorities: Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral.

Understanding how the city-region performs on key areas such as productivity and employment helps the new metro mayor to assess what he should prioritise. The table below shows how region compares to the national average on these indicators.

You can also find more detailed data on key areas that the metro mayor has control of on the Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Data Dashboard

Source: All data publicly available. Contact Centre for Cities for full source details. Averages displayed are either UK or GB average depending on the data available.

What are the policy priorities for the Liverpool City Region mayor?

Below is a summary of the powers the new Liverpool City Region metro mayor has, based on the devolution deal agreed with the government.

Policy priority 1: A quick win

Make taking a bus easier for communities to access opportunities across the city region

Improve the bus network to quickly make a difference in poorly connected areas throughout the city region.
Use new strategic powers to prioritise disadvantaged residents and cut off areas, opening up more opportunities and signalling the importance of a whole city region approach.
Work with bus providers and other local partners to build complementary rather than competing priorities for the city region.

Read more on this policy priority

Policy priority 2: A strategic aim

Improve the skills of the workforce so more people can access jobs across the city region

Help out of work residents to access more jobs across the city region by improving their skills
Use the apprenticeship levy to better match businesses with skills providers across the city and improve the quality of schemes through the apprenticeship hub.
Build links and networks between city hall, businesses and key education institutes.

Read more on this policy priority

Policy priority 3: A longer term vision

Make improving school performance a top priority for the city region

Trial initiatives to boost school performance in the areas of the city region that need it most
Enable school leavers to get the qualifications they need to access and create the jobs of the future
Make best use of the visibility of the role to challenge schools that are underperforming.

Read more on this policy priority

What powers does the Liverpool City Region metro mayor have?

Below is a summary of the powers the new Liverpool City Region metro mayor has.

What did the Liverpool metro mayor candidates have in their manifestos?

Click through the slideshare below to find out what the different 2017 Liverpool City Region metro mayor candidates wrote in their manifestos around key policy areas including transport, housing and the environment.

Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Manifestos from Centre for Cities

What the voters say about the new metro mayor

In May 2016 Centre for Cities commissioned ComRes polling to find out what issues the residents of Liverpool City Region think should be top priority for their new metro mayor. This was based on the powers they will enjoy, as well as wider priorities. We also asked whether or not they wanted to see more powers handed down to the metro mayor. Below are some of the main findings.

Local priorities

More than a third of adults (36 per cent) in Liverpool City Region think that health care provision should be the priority for local politicians. Of the policy areas within the metro mayor’s remit, housing (14 per cent) has priority.

Which, if any, of the following issues do you think should be the most important priority for politicians in your city at the moment?

Source: ComRes. Average first preference of adults across the Liverpool City Region (n=503)

Relating to the specific powers that the new metro mayor will have, one in four (25 per cent) say that affordable housing should be their top priority. A significant number also think the metro mayor should prioritise infrastructure (21 per cent).

Of the powers that the new metro mayor will have, which of the following issues, if any, do you think should be her/his top priority in their first 100 days?

Source: ComRes. Average first preference of adults across the Liverpool City Region (n=503)

The metro mayor’s powers

Three-in-five adults in Liverpool City Region (60 per cent) agree that the new metro mayor should have greater powers than local council leaders, and a quarter (25 per cent) disagree.

To what extent, if at all, do you agree or disagree that the new metro mayor should have greater powers than local council leaders?

Source: ComRes. All adults in the Liverpool City Region (n=503). Percentages are rounded

Awareness of the metro mayor

Half of adults (49 per cent) in Liverpool City Region say they were familiar with plans to introduce a new metro mayor for their region.

To what extent, if at all, were you previously familiar or unfamiliar with the plans to introduce a new metro mayor for the city-region?

Source: ComRes. All adults in the Liverpool City Region (n=503).

What is the political landscape in Liverpool City Region?

Labour’s Steve Rotheram is the current metro mayor and won with 59% of the vote in the first round. Tony Caldeira the Conservative candidate got 20% of the vote and turnout was 26%.