Campaign launched to give Leeds residents a say on region's future

The campaign, called AMP - for Alternative Manifesto Process - aims to 'amp' up the voices of the people across West Yorkshire and generate new ideas for the first West Yorkshire mayor, set to be elected in May 2021.

The ideas aim to add to, and challenge, the official party political manifestos which will be put forward by the mayoral candidates during the election next spring.

It has been organised by Same Skies, a group founded by volunteers in 2015 to give ordinary people in West Yorkshire a way to get involved in the debates about "devolution" - the process by which some powers are given back to local councils by the London government.

Leeds primary school teacher Ian Martin, a Same Skies member and one of the main organisers of AMP, said: "AMP will find great ideas for the mayor to put into practice, and it will also write a new job description for being the mayor of West Yorkshire.

"We want to show the new mayor the value of stepping outside the usual circles of local institutional, public sector and business leaders. We are asking who else should the mayor invite through the door for a cup of tea and a chat?"

The campaign will encourage people to share their ideas with a view to them being discussed and shaped, supported by a programme of events where experts and members of the public will look into an issue in more details.

The first of these will be on house-building and takes place online on Tuesday August 25 at 6pm.

To register in advance, click here.

To send a suggestion to AMP, visit [email protected].

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Thank you

Laura Collins