Liam Byrne MP announces West Midlands Mayor bid
A Labour shadow frontbencher has announced he is running to be his party's candidate for West Midlands Mayor.
Liam Byrne MP said he wanted to send a clear message that "change is possible" and pledged to tackle the "moral emergency" of homelessness.
Setting out his vision for the future, the MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill called for "a new industrial revolution" for the region.
He also hit out at current Conservative Mayor Andy Street, who he said had failed to challenge his party over universal credit and increases in rough sleepers.
Mr Byrne, who serves on Jeremy Corbyn’s frontbench as shadow digital minister, faces competition from Dudley councillor Pete Lowe and former Stourbridge MP Lynda Waltho.
He said: “Homelessness is soaring. Hunger is spreading. The most vulnerable are being stripped of the benefits they desperately need. The Tories’ austerity is destroying lives. We face a moral emergency.
“The story of the West Midlands is becoming like ‘a tale of two cities’. There are cranes in our skies. But our homeless neighbours are sleeping in doorways, where someone now dies every fortnight.
“This is not justice. It’s a Tory choice. It’s not acceptable. And there is an alternative.”
He went on to hit out at Mr Street's "record of inaction", saying: “My grandparents came to the West Midlands because they heard we could make anything here, the workshop of the world.
"But they found that what truly defines us is our goodness, our care for our neighbours. We need a Mayor who will turn our ideals, our radical compassion into action.
“Andy Street will never do this. He spent £500 on a limo to visit the homeless – and then let homelessness triple. As more and more people queue for food banks, he still won’t write to Ministers to challenge Universal Credit.
"And he doesn’t even pay his own workers at West Midlands Combined Authority a real living wage.
“We cannot stand by and watch this continue. If we don’t take a stand today then ten years from now, we will be more divided than ever.
"Entrenched poverty will deepen and the West Midlands will fall further and further behind Labour London and Manchester.”
Mr Byrne served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury in Gordon Brown's government, famously leaving a note to his successor David Laws saying: "Dear Chief Secretary, I’m afraid there is no money. Kind regards – and good luck! Liam."
He was previously a Minister for the Cabinet Office.
The next mayoral election is due to take place in May 2020, with Labour members expected to vote for a candidate in the coming weeks.
Mr Lowe, who is yet to formally announce his intention to stand, has long been considered a favourite by many due to his strong trade union connections.
However, Mr Byrne is known to have large support among Birmingham's Muslim and Sikh communities.
The MP, who has run campaigns in Parliament and Birmingham for addiction services, food banks and homeless charities in recent years, added: “This election can send a clear message that change is possible.
“We can rebuild prosperity for the many not the few with a new Industrial Revolution for our region- a Green Industrial Revolution that delivers jobs and tackles the urgent crisis of climate change.
“We can bring our diverse region together, fight back against hate and intolerance, and build a home together where we have More In Common.
“And we can end the moral emergency of homelessness, hunger and cuts to disability benefits."
