Ward marks first year as Mayor determined to deliver on investment pledge
The Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward has marked one year in post by doubling down on her pledge to draw investment into the region.
Ward, who is the first directly-elected Mayor the region and heads up the East Midlands Combined County Authority, told TheBusinessDesk.com that her first 12 months in post has “busy but successful”.
However, she admits that the recent Reform gains across the East Midlands wasn’t grand plan – but that she’s willing to find consensus for the good of the region.
“It’s always place first, politics second,” she told us. “I was elected to bring investment into the East Midlands; I’m more than happy to work with others to do that. That’s my focus.”
Admirable stuff. And Ward was quick to say she understood East Midlanders frustrations.
She added: “I completely understand why people want change. We’ve had decades of underinvestment in the East Midlands and people are angry.”
Ward has three years left of her current term to turn things around. She says she “always wants to do more”.
She added: “The East Midlands has always been a place of ambition and resilience, full of potential — hardworking people, strong communities, and world-class industries. But for too long, we’ve missed out on the investment and attention we deserve. That’s starting to change, because the region now has a Mayor that is focussed on improving the region. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together in just one year, – bringing in funding, new opportunities and real improvements.”
Ward now heads to next week’s UKREiiF inward investment event in Leeds, where she says she will “put the East Midlands on the map”. She admits that momentum has been hard to generate over the last 12 months – “My first few days after being elected were spent with the team unboxing computers” – but that she’s confident she can deliver.
Ward added: “People need to see new homes, new businesses investing in the East Midlands and new infrastructure that can unlock investment. This is just the start, I’m even more excited about what lies ahead, as we work together to make the East Midlands the best place to live, work and learn.”
