Liverpool City Council has voted to move to a Mayoral model, triggering an historic election on May 3 to elect a Mayor of Liverpool.
Following a massive deal negotiated with the Government by Labour leader Joe Anderson, the deal will see Liverpool given £130million to spend as it wants, and new powers to help unemployed people back into work.
The deal was backed by all Labour councillors in Liverpool. The majority of Liverpool's Liberal Democrats, who have been opposed to the deal since it was announced, failed to make a decision either way and abstained.
In his speech at the close of the debate, Joe Anderson said that the families of Liverpool would not accept the city sending the money and powers back to Government, when so many were in need.
Joe said: "The people of this City want someone to take urgent, bold, decisive action to solve our city’s problems. This deal gives us that opportunity to do so. And the people of Liverpool won’t forgive us if we refuse this chance to take it."
"The families of Liverpool who are living in sub standard, over crowded, cold, damp housing – people who are desperate for a new home but can’t get one. Those families won’t forgive us if we turn this offer down."
"The school children who went to school today, and who will go to school tomorrow, in crumbling buildings which are literally falling to pieces. They won’t forgive us if we send this money back to the Government."
"The unemployed people who can’t get a job, who need us to help create growth and the conditions for investment and new business. They won’t forgive us if we tell them we’re going to leave it up to them, and turn down the opportunity to do it for ourselves."
"The entrepreneurs who want to start up businesses in our city, and who we could offer incentives too in Enterprise Zones. They won’t forgive us, if we turn down the chance of an extra enterprise zone and five Mayoral development zones, which will give our City’s economy a massive boost."
Joe finished by calling on Liverpool's councillors to back the deal, saying for once they had the chance to make Liverpool a leader.
The full text of Joe's speech is below.
At the last Council meeting, I talked about how our City had moved significantly forward in terms of regeneration during the last decade, especially within the City centre.
Tonight, though, I don’t want to talk about this city’s past.
I want to talk about this City’s future, and our responsibility to act in the best interests of our young people.
Lord Mayor, Liverpool City Council tonight has an opportunity to kick on and develop parts of our City that are desperate for investment and regeneration.
It isn’t often that the council has opportunities in a single vote to move the City onto a completely different plane.
But tonight, with the City Deal, the council has just that opportunity.
The deal which has been negotiated with Government is massive.
This is a package of measures which has the ability to transform the lives of people in this city.
What’s on offer has been well publicised and is in the report before you.
A total investment of over £130million will let us begin to rebuild schools and houses which are in desperate need of investment.
New powers from the Government to tackle unemployment means we will finally have the power, here in Liverpool, to help thousands of people back into work.
We will be given immediate powers to raise cash for investment against future tax receipts – Tax Incremental Financing – meaning the City can start straight away in rebuilding itself.
This offer from the Government is based on what we, in Liverpool, have asked for, and what we need.
It is on offer which has been made because of the local leadership we have shown, and the priorities we have set.
I’ve always said that we are all localists, that we all want Liverpool to be given the power to shape its own destiny.
Tonight, Liverpool City Council has the chance to take that power, and to shape its own future.
People have asked me – do we have to do this now?
And I say to them – yes we do.
The problems we face as a city are deep rooted. The people of Liverpool aren’t prepared to stand around and wait, while we argue about constitutional minutiae.
If we wait for months on end for Councillor Keaveney to make up her mind, the cupboard will be bare.
The Government – and Liverpool – cannot wait while Councillor Kemp argues about legal minutiae in his Constitutional Convention.
People of this City now understand that to have a referendum would delay any investment for over 12 months
There would be no guarantee we would get the powers and resources which are on offer now next year.
They also know that if offered these powers and money in a referendum they would vote yes, so why wait and also pay for a costly referendum?
The people of this City want someone to take urgent, bold, decisive action to solve our city’s problems.
This deal gives us that opportunity to do so.
And the people of Liverpool won’t forgive us if we refuse this chance to take it.
The families of Liverpool who are living in sub standard, over crowded, cold, damp housing – people who are desperate for a new home but can’t get one.
Those families won’t forgive us if we turn this offer down.
The school children who went to school today, and who will go to school tomorrow, in crumbling buildings which are literally falling to pieces.
They won’t forgive us if we send this money back to the Government.
The unemployed people who can’t get a job, who need us to help create growth and the conditions for investment and new business.
They won’t forgive us if we tell them we’re going to leave it up to them, and turn down the opportunity to do it for ourselves.
The entrepreneurs who want to start up businesses in our city, and who we could offer incentives too in Enterprise Zones.
They won’t forgive us, if we turn down the chance of an extra enterprise zone and five Mayoral development zones, which will give our City’s economy a massive boost.
Lord Mayor, I have said on many occasions our City has a bright future. It really does.
I am an optimist. I think our problems do have solutions.
They can be solved.
I believe that with the right action, our problems can be eroded, and our future as a city can be brighter and more prosperous.
But we can’t wait.
We can’t loiter.
We can’t stand around naval gazing while houses are left derelict, while schools crumble, while more and more people find themselves out of work.
The decision tonight will involve moving Liverpool straight to a city mayoral model.
A Mayor for Liverpool, whoever he or she is, will have a mandate to act on behalf of 450,000 people, from Walton to Speke, and from the banks of the Mersey to the M57.
A mayor for Liverpool will be able to go banging on the doors of Government demanding a better deal for our city.
A Mayor for Liverpool will have the power to go out to businesses across Liverpool, across the UK, across Europe, across the world, and to tell them why Liverpool is the place to be.
This is a deal that will put Liverpool ahead of other major cities in our region.
It is a game changer.
It is bold. It is decisive, and it sends out a message that Liverpool is finally taking control of its destiny.
This is an offer that is simply too good to turn down, Lord Mayor.
I urge the City Council to back the City Deal which is on offer, and to sieze this massive opportunity for once to let Liverpool be a Leader.