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The Regional Democracy Think Tank for West Yorkshire

Side-by-Side Comparison of Labour Prospective Candidates' Ideas

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We've put together a side-by-side comparison of the ideas and pledges of Tracy Brabin, Hugh Goulbourne and Susan Hinchcliffe, who are all standing in the Labour Party in West Yorkshire's internal election to be the Labour candidate for West Yorkshire mayor.

The ideas and pledges are divided into sections for easier navigation, and they often fit into more than one, for example the Act Early health institute could go in both the health and jobs sections.

Corrections and clarification are welcome.

The Same Skies group includes members of at least two political parties and none, and doing this comparison doesn't imply any support for Labour in preference any other party (we would have done the same for Greens and Yorkshire Party, but they were too quick for us!).

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APPROACH TO LEADERSHIP

Tracy Brabin

Hugh Goulbourne

Susan Hinchcliffe

I’ll take a co-operative and compassionate approach to leadership, working with citizens, communities, businesses and local leaders across the region to do things differently. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Working with trade unions, businesses and local leaders to develop a model of social partnership. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
End any duplication between Combined Authority, Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership and Metro, to keep costs down. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Establish a Backbench Councillor Liaison Committee so that every level of local government is engaged with the Mayor. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
No direct equivalent Funding small pilot projects, reviewing the evidence, talking to residents and using that information to generate spatial strategy that delivers urban spaces and transport systems that respond to our new situation. I see the changing shape of urban centres as an opportunity and a positive challenge to overcome – not just as a risk or a problem – because the repurposing of offices and greater use of home working provides an enormous opportunity for people to reconnect with their local community and create a healthier and better society. No direct equivalent
No direct equivalent What better way for councils to form partnerships with business than by creating hot-desk spaces within their existing civic offices. In this way, council officers can mingle with and get to understand how small businesses operate and how they deliver for local people. No direct equivalent

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CITIZEN PARTICIPATION

Tracy Brabin

Hugh Goulbourne

Susan Hinchcliffe

Hold regular Mayoral Question Times. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Establish Mayor’s Forums for all under-represented groups so that everyone has their voice heard. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Set up a West Yorkshire Children’s Board, using money from the Department of Education, so the voice of children and young people is heard at the very highest level. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Appoint a set of Future Generations Commissioners, drawing on lessons from the Welsh Labour Government, responsible for ensuring that decision-making in West Yorkshire takes greater account of long-term impact and sustainability. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Explore citizen assemblies to make policy decisions for our region. West Yorkshire citizens’ assembly in June 2021. This would be similar to the group that was brought together in Leeds last year to devise a set of environmental recommendations. The citizens’ assembly would be made up of a representative mix of over a hundred people from across West Yorkshire and would have the freedom to look at my plans and come up with alternatives. No direct equivalent
No direct equivalent The citizen assembly would also have the capacity to work out the third element in the climate change challenge: namely, how we develop a sustainable spatial plan to use our land in the most efficient and effective way. This would include reforesting upper water catchment areas, building climate resilient homes, growing healthy food, and creating space for the wildlife and insects that are essential to our very existence. The West Yorkshire mayor will only be able to deliver on this if the space is created for our region to arrive at a consensus about our future. No direct equivalent
No direct equivalent Partner with local businesses and residents and enable them to play a greater role in the design and experimentation process that is needed within our towns. No direct equivalent

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CLIMATE EMERGENCY AND GREEN NEW DEAL

Tracy Brabin

Hugh Goulbourne

Susan Hinchcliffe

Climate Change needs community solutions. I’ll establish a unit with responsibility for supporting Community Energy and Low Carbon Housing Projects. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
No direct equivalent No direct equivalent A pilot of a ‘Green Workforce Fund’ (£10m) to support West Yorkshire residents to enter/retrain into skilled jobs and progress their careers through gaining good-quality work.
No direct equivalent No direct equivalent The clock is ticking. We must equip people across West Yorkshire with the right skills and qualifications they need so we can meet the target of net-zero carbon by 2038, with significant progress by 2030. We cannot wait any longer.
No direct equivalent No direct equivalent Enough electricity from onshore wind and solar to power more than 150,000 homes.
No direct equivalent Tree planting projects could be quickly enhanced and scaled up through investment as part of the devolution deal for West Yorkshire, in particular to ensure that there is funding to enthuse, train and support young people to get into jobs in forestry or moorland management. Acceleration of tree planting to cover the equivalent of more than 400 football pitches by 2038.
No direct equivalent Rewilding the South Pennines – supporting the creation of new green industries and a national park. The restoration of our precious peatland.
I will make a commitment that every policy I support will have an environment impact assessment and equality audit attached to it so that decisions are always based in our values. No direct equivalent A commitment to be part of the Just Transition Commission, working together with other parts of Yorkshire to plan a transition to a green economy that ensures no one is left behind.
No direct equivalent As we gradually reduce and remove cars from our urban centres this will mean we can redevelop those centres as ‘urban villages’ with more housing, parks, woods and recreation spaces. At the end of the day, it is not just those on high incomes who deserve to live and/or work in villages with lovely rural backdrops. People doing key jobs also have a right to live and travel in clean air surrounded by plants and wildlife. No direct equivalent
No direct equivalent Community buildings such as leisure centres or libraries could drive up footfall by creating shared workspaces where freelancers can work and exercise. No direct equivalent
Establish an action plan to decarbonise existing business operations in our region, and put in place targets and support to achieve that. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Invest in delivering thousands of charging points around the region, looking at where car manufacturers should be taking action. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent

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COMMUNITY WEALTH BUILDING AND ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY

Tracy Brabin

Hugh Goulbourne

Susan Hinchcliffe

Establish a Co-operative Development and Community Wealth Building team to support the growth of co-operative, social enterprise and worker-owned businesses in our region. Co-operative development unit – supporting collaborative and local enterprise. No direct equivalent
Boost the number of businesses paying the real living wage. Use public investments and contracts to generate good, well-paid jobs. If a company wants a public contract or is getting a business grant or loan with public funds, they have to live up to the standards we expect. No direct equivalent Increase the proportion of money spent in West Yorkshire by West Yorkshire public sector anchor institutions and insist businesses that work with the Combined Authority do the same, to create more jobs in the region.
An emergency plan to support our local independent food and drink businesses hit hardest by COVID-19 in our villages, towns and cities. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Deliver a Fair Work Charter within one year of being elected as Mayor, setting the standards we expect for good work in our region, encouraging businesses to adopt better working practices. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
No direct equivalent No direct equivalent Develop a pledge for ‘Good Employers’ who work with the Combined Authority to provide the Real Living Wage, address race and gender pay disparities, promote trade union recognition and invest in skills.

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CRIME COMMISSIONER ROLE

Tracy Brabin

Hugh Goulbourne

Susan Hinchcliffe

No direct equivalent Redirect budgets (e.g. counter terrorism budget) to prevention, with CATCH in Leeds as a model. No direct equivalent
Reinvigorating community and neighbourhood policing No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Ensure a victim-centred response to crime. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Tackle domestic abuse. I will introduce a Domestic Violence Perpetrator Pilot, similar to one being run in Northern Ireland, use my office – like the PCC in Northumbria – to promote programmes, action and awareness of domestic abuse. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Take a zero-tolerance approach to modern day slavery, supporting the victims into work and a secure home. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Tackle anti-social behaviour. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Early intervention to tackle drug crime. Great work already happening in West Yorkshire. I will work with councils to put in place holistic approaches that build on work with schools, such as the Addiction Education Programme, launched by the UK Addiction Treatment Group (UKAT) No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Support and deliver on the aims of the Programme Precision initiative to ruthlessly. target organised crime. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Fundamentally, we can tackle crime by tackling the causes of crime. Early intervention is vital, as is supporting local councils to expand SureStart by using the commitment in the Mayoral deal to explore an Act Early Health Institute to ensure every child gets the very best start in life. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
No direct equivalent No direct equivalent Ensure West Yorkshire Police treat everyone – and are treated in return – with courtesy and respect and are seen to uphold the rule of law equally.

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EDUCATION

Tracy Brabin

Hugh Goulbourne

Susan Hinchcliffe

No direct equivalent No direct equivalent Lead a Schools Commission for West Yorkshire to challenge the barriers to good educational outcomes so that children in every one of our communities can have a good education, and ensuring the history and culture of our diverse communities are respected in teaching and are part of our children’s learning.
I’ll work with citizens, community groups, local authorities, and the NHS to develop a West Yorkshire plan to ensure no child is left without food during the school holidays. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent

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EQUALITY

Tracy Brabin

Hugh Goulbourne

Susan Hinchcliffe

I will implement a Fair Work Charter within my first year in office. No direct equivalent Publish an annual diversity and gender pay gap report for the Mayoral Authority and commit to having a representative workforce that appoints people based on their ability and potential, not the colour of their skin, religion, or other orientation.
No direct equivalent No direct equivalent Enable this generation to be the first to see the economic benefits of net-zero carbon with high-value green jobs created to make this region the Green Heart of Britain, thereby eliminating the impacts of climate emergency which fall most heavily on those who are disadvantaged.

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FLOODING

Tracy Brabin

Hugh Goulbourne

Susan Hinchcliffe

Invest in hard flood defences,and natural flood management, while green proofing all of our policies to ensure we tackle the underlying reasons for flooding. Natural flood management – investing in woodlands, ponds and peat bogs, using new techniques that have been pioneered by a volunteer-led community group called Slow the Flow. Flood alleviation and natural flood management across the region.

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HEALTH

Tracy Brabin

Hugh Goulbourne

Susan Hinchcliffe

No direct equivalent An opportunity to build on the excellent work that has been done in recent years by the Bradford Institute for Health Research. In partnership with Bradford Council, they have brought together health, education and other records of thousands of young people across Bradford to ensure that they are targeting public resources to protect the health and lives of local residents. This project has the capacity to grow into a national health institute with global significance, levelling up the life expectancies of different communities and creating jobs and training opportunities for people here in West Yorkshire. Invest in making West Yorkshire a global pioneer of population health research that can deliver world-beating policy interventions for reducing health inequalities in our communities.
No direct equivalent No direct equivalent Put reducing health inequalities at the core of the Mayoral Authority’s work, with every policy and programme of work undertaken by or on behalf of the Mayoral Authority requiring a health inequality impact assessment.
Expand SureStart by using the commitment in the Mayoral deal to explore an Act Early Health Institute to ensure every child gets the very best start in life. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
No direct equivalent Active travel campaign – working with public health teams across our local authorities to enable active lifestyles. No direct equivalent
No direct equivalent Work with our five local authorities to create one public health team. With shared resources and a singular focus, this team would be able to respond at pace in a way that they have not been able to do during this crisis No direct equivalent

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HOUSING

Tracy Brabin

Hugh Goulbourne

Susan Hinchcliffe

No direct equivalent New Housing – ensuring that new-build projects are built with renewable energy sources in mind and adhere to Passivhaus principles. Support developers who build new, genuinely affordable homes with low to zero-carbon emissions that include high-quality insulation, solar panels, modern central heating and boilers, and wastewater recycling.
No direct equivalent Local authorities will need to step in and re-use any derelict spaces. High streets could be turned into high-quality residential accommodation with affordable homes for our key workers and families as part of the mix. Given our desire for a healthier society, creating more densely populated and energy efficient housing alongside urban sport and recreation spaces – five-a-side football pitches, urban allotments and play areas – would be a sustainable way to bring life back into town and city centres. Work with housing associations to build new, affordable homes on brownfield sites in our town and city centres to safeguard our precious green belt.
Develop a homelessness action plan for the region. A housing taskforce – this will convene council, charity and housing association leaders from across the region to find ways in which we can address the crisis in housing need, with a commitment to working together to ensure that everyone can access a warm, decent and affordable home on a secure tenure. Work with local councils to eliminate homelessness within my first term of office. Housing First, to support people in getting off the streets and into a house where they are supported to succeed in a tenancy.
Develop a plan for homes (a statutory strategic plan) for the region, helping to deliver more genuinely affordable homes. Use mayoral powers to bring funding and investment for new social rent and council homes into the region. I’ll push to increase the rate of council house building of directly owned homes. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
End the purchase of land to build houses that are not the right type or affordability for the areas they are based in. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Support plans for new co-operative housing developments in all parts of our region. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
No direct equivalent No direct equivalent Assist local councils in taking strong action against those unscrupulous private landlords who exploit their tenants.

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JOBS, BUSINESS, INNOVATION

Tracy Brabin

Hugh Goulbourne

Susan Hinchcliffe

No direct equivalent An energy technology catapult – we will invest in businesses located in the region who want to develop and commercialise the energy technologies of the future i.e. the 30% of carbon reduction that Mark Carney has talked about being required from new technologies. This investment will be aimed at growing existing businesses, commercialising intellectual property within our universities and attracting start ups into the region from across the world. No direct equivalent
Develop plans to create specialist hubs within our towns and cities, driving us to be world leaders in new industries. A health innovation campus – using existing expertise within our technology sector and universities to create 1000s of new jobs. No direct equivalent
Fight for a Regional Recovery Fund to build a post-COVID-19 economy. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Increasing research and development spending and investment in the region to drive innovation and to close the productivity gap that exists between West Yorkshire and other regions. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Establish a Mayor’s Manufacturing Task Group, using a social partnership model with businesses and trade unions, to take West Yorkshire’s world class, modern manufacturing sector forward with a plan to boost exports and make sure local young people have the skills to become the engineers and designers of the future. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
No direct equivalent Hospitality sector taskforce – protecting jobs in 2021, specifically in the hospitality sector, and creating jobs throughout my term. No direct equivalent
No direct equivalent There are already mobile [transport] apps available in city regions in other parts of Europe, which we could adapt to our own specific needs here in West Yorkshire. With some of the world’s best software engineers and data analysts already based in West Yorkshire, this provides an opportunity for the mayoral office to co-create and own valuable smart transport know-how. We could sell this to communities all around the world and create new and highly paid jobs in growth areas such as data science. No direct equivalent
No direct equivalent With the foundations for a national health institute and some of the best digital health and pharmaceutical businesses anywhere in the world already here in West Yorkshire, we have an enormous opportunity. No direct equivalent
Green Hydrogen, using spare renewable electricity capacity is one of the most exciting zero carbon solutions. I will support projects like Leeds City Gate to develop a Hydrogen Economy which could provide zero carbon solutions for heavy vehicles and heating as well as creating thousands of jobs. Zero Carbon Yorkshire – building the world’s first Hydrogen Economy. Accelerate the development of our region as the world’s first hydrogen economy – powering cars and buses, while heating our homes with little or no pollution. No direct equivalent
Film Studio of the North and lobby the British Film Institute and production companies to bring that studio to West Yorkshire. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Play a leading role nationally in promoting the benefits of locating in West Yorkshire for creative industries. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Support our growing games industry in West Yorkshire. 7% of the industry is already based here. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent

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RETROFITTING

Tracy Brabin

Hugh Goulbourne

Susan Hinchcliffe

Introduce a green retrofitting programme of residential homes which will reduce bills, tackle fuel poverty and create jobs, bidding for increased government investment to implement this in every local authority area, starting with those most in need. Develop a Warmer Homes Initiative to get green proofed central heating systems to fuel poor homes, supporting good practice where this already exists. No direct equivalent Retrofitting a minimum of 700,000 homes across West Yorkshire, providing them with better insulation and central heating to make them more efficient and environmentally friendly at the same time.

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SKILLS, ADULT EDUCATION, LIFELONG LEARNING

Tracy Brabin

Hugh Goulbourne

Susan Hinchcliffe

Support the efforts to establish new education institutions for our region, including a new Yorkshire digital skills academy, a creative industries university campus. A Future Skills Academy – preparing young people for the new economy. No direct equivalent
Increasing higher education provision in the south of the region. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Support and develop a Levy Matchmaking Scheme to help larger businesses who are not using their apprenticeship levy to support SMEs, Co-ops and Social Enterprises to take on apprentices. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Fight against cuts to UnionLearn, supported by working people, unions and employers. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Ensure all young people out of work for more than six months have an offer of a job,education or training. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
Working with Screen Yorkshire and the West Yorkshire College consortium to support and expand the Centre of Screen Excellence to build a greater skilled craft workforce outside London and the South East. No direct equivalent No direct equivalent
No direct equivalent No direct equivalent Currently beyond the age of 19 people have to pay for their own education, meaning most people don’t get a second chance at education in life. Work to create a system in which everyone has fair access to training regardless of age, level of attainment, background and learning route alongside reversing the long-term decline in adult training.
No direct equivalent No direct equivalent Campaigning to pay care workers a Real Living Wage and making sure they have access to the skills and training they need to progress and prosper.
No direct equivalent No direct equivalent Establish a Social Regeneration College that will bring together people of all different ages and backgrounds who are passionate about rebuilding their communities, and help them bring their ideas to life.

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STRUCTURAL RACISM

Tracy Brabin

Hugh Goulbourne

Susan Hinchcliffe

Tackle race inequality and discrimination in our jobs market, investing in personalised support programmes to help Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups across West Yorkshire find decent well-paid work. The mayor must support schools and colleges to increase aspirations and encourage positive black role models. They should challenge chief executives in the police force, councils, health trusts and private sector businesses to remove artificial cultural and education barriers to entry into and progression within their organisations. The Black Lives Matter movement has shone a spotlight on the structural racism that persists in society….The role of Mayor provides a powerful platform to overcome racism, as well as gender discrimination, homophobia, and the income divide. Ensure every public sector organisation in West Yorkshire and every private sector company working with the Mayoral Authority has a published plan to increase diversity in their workforce within four years, with equality at their core.
No direct equivalent Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees Councils all joined the Intercultural Cities (ICC) programme in 2019. Founded by the Council of Europe and with a membership of 126 cities worldwide, the programme looks to break down barriers to people from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, working together within a local area so that no one feels excluded. I commit to bringing together an ICC taskforce for the whole of West Yorkshire. Only in that way will we have the focus and resource to be able to eradicate racial prejudice and release the unlimited potential of all people here in West Yorkshire. No direct equivalent

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TOWNS AND VILLAGES

Tracy Brabin

Hugh Goulbourne

Susan Hinchcliffe

Focus green investment into areas of the region that have been left behind by successive governments. Former pit villages and towns should not have to rely on low-paid, gig economy work. The challenge for local and regional politicians and planners is to change their working practices so that they are more responsive to the necessary pace of change. This requires a more agile approach, where funding is sourced from government pots such as the Brownfield Regeneration Fund or the Towns Fund to test and refine lots of low-cost interventions, to regenerate our deserted urban areas, rather than investing everything in a small number of big glossy projects that only create wealth for large property developers. Commit to being a Mayor who represents our cities, our towns and our villages, and champion our smaller communities so that their voices and needs are not drowned out by those of our larger cities.
Fight for more support for our local sports clubs No direct equivalent No direct equivalent

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TRANSPORT

Tracy Brabin

Hugh Goulbourne

Susan Hinchcliffe

Publicly-owned transport that works in the interest of the public good is essential.Buses should be publicly controlled to put people before profit. Bringing under public control the existing inefficient, illogical and confusing mix of road travel options. More public control of buses and our transport system.
Join up transport across West Yorkshire –I will show progress every year. We need cheaper, simpler tickets and flat fares that can be bought and used on any bus or train in the region. Mobility as a service – putting local people in control of all means of transport. Demand responsive transport. A new West Yorkshire-wide public/private sector app and operating system would bring all existing services together to use every available seat, from minibuses to taxis to trains, to create on demand and doorstep services that could be shared with other passengers. Commit to delivering an integrated transport system which connects every village, town and city to economic and social opportunity.
Support calls for the Queensbury Tunnel cycle path between Bradford and Halifax which would generate tens of millions of pounds over the next 30 years. Turn disused Queensbury Tunnel into a cycle track. With funding set aside for West Yorkshire to develop a transport system that connects the different communities together, this could form a key part of a cycling superhighway connecting Harrogate to Holmfirth. No direct equivalent
Develop a concrete plan for electrification, new stations (one is sorely needed in Elland, for example) and modern trains on our rail lines, putting pressure on government to make this happen. No direct equivalent Modernise and electrify our key railway lines like the Calder Valley, restore the Skipton-Colne rail line to directly connect Keighley with Manchester Airport.
No direct equivalent No direct equivalent Encourage a rapid shift from private car use to cycling and walking.
No direct equivalent The mayor must work with our councils, business groups and communities to redesign our urban centres so that it is easy for out-of-town drivers to swiftly and easily transition into our centres without their cars. No direct equivalent
No direct equivalent Offer a range of alternative electric mobility options, from bicycles and scooters. No direct equivalent
No direct equivalent Holmfirth to Harrogate cycle superhighway – clean, green, active travel. No direct equivalent
No direct equivalent Move our focus away from commuter roads and instead look to invest in a mass transit system. This would connect the outlying towns and suburban areas of Leeds and Bradford, providing affordable and reliable transport for those key workers who keep our hospitals, schools, care homes and supermarkets running. No direct equivalent

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