East Midlands mayoral candidate: Alan Graves
People living in the East Midlands Combined County Authority (the four local authorities of Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire) will elect their first regional mayor on 2 May. Here's what you need to know about all of the candidates and their top priorities.
Alan Graves says people should have had a say
Alan Graves started his political career with Labour.
He later joined the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and the Brexit Party before representing Reform UK, which now has six councillors on Derby City Council.
The 61-year-old sales director has worked for a computer company since 1984 that supplies touchscreen tills for the retail and hospitality sector.
He believes there is no consensus for a regional mayor and thinks there should have been a referendum asking the people of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire if they wanted one.
He wants to bring in lawyers to scrap the role
Mr Graves says he will seek legal advice to "untangle the process" of the mayoral role in his first 100 days.
In the meantime, he wants to make sure the region will get their "fair share" of devolved cash from Whitehall to spend in "every area".
Mr Graves wants to keep financial waste to a minimum
The Reform UK candidate says the region will have access to the government's pothole fund, which he wants to "spend properly and fairly" in all areas.
He also says he wants to make sure the combined authority "does not waste money" - like he says "local and national government does" - and to keep it to an "absolute minimum".
He wants to keep cash for public transport alive
Mr Graves says there are "prescribed ideas" passed down from government as to what the mayoral role will look like.
Speaking about an "integrated transport system", in which people can "hop on and off buses", he says he will make sure that physical cash is still available to be spent on public transport.
Mr Graves says the mayor role will 'cost people a lot of money'
He says he disputes other candidates saying they will not bring in a mayoral precept, which would be added on to people's council tax bills.
He adds whoever is mayor come May, they will have to introduce a precept after two years of the combined authority.
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