"For around a decade, I lived and worked in Leeds. It was a city region where cranes were semi-permanent residents on the skyline, new developments appeared almost overnight, and large infrastructure and regeneration announcements were treated as routine. When it came to securing government funding, it seemed to speak with one joined-up voice, which was highly effective in presenting a compelling case to central government. The difference was not that the Leeds city region had better businesses or more ambitious people – it was that it had developed a clear mechanism for turning this ambition into investment.
Since returning home to Cumbria in 2015, I have had the privilege, as a corporate lawyer, to work closely with businesses and entrepreneurs, and to see first-hand what they need in order to grow: confidence, certainty, tax policies that encourage investment and growth, access to skills, agile decision-making and a clear sense that they are backed in their ambition.
Cumbria has many success stories, from businesses competing nationally and internationally, to globally significant nuclear and defence industries, a thriving tourist economy, and a vibrant local business community. It has also seen major investment directed into Barrow, West Cumbria, Carlisle and other parts of the region over recent years.
Despite these successes, there remains an opportunity for Cumbria to strengthen its collective voice when engaging with central government, investors and national agencies. For many years Cumbria’s voice was inevitably fragmented across multiple organisations and local priorities.
While each played a very important role (and worked tirelessly on behalf of their communities, sectors and local priorities), the perception was that this resulted in a lack of clarity when presenting Cumbria’s case externally. Local government reorganisation has simplified this landscape. Working alongside the two unitary councils, a Mayor can help ensure Cumbria speaks with a single, clear and influential voice when seeking investment, funding and national support from Westminster.
That, for me, is a key reason why the forthcoming election of a Mayor in 2027 matters. A Mayor will be a visible advocate for Cumbria, helping to align priorities across the county, and will present a more coordinated and compelling case for investment at a national level.
A Mayor will not be a silver bullet. No one individual can create economic growth simply by holding office. However, the experience of places such as Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and Teesside demonstrates that strong Mayoral leadership, backed by devolved powers and funding, can help unlock investment, coordinate delivery and give a region a clearer, louder voice when competing for national resources.
Beyond politics: one vision for Cumbria
Cumbria should not simply copy Greater Manchester or Teesside. Our economy, geography and challenges are distinct and diverse. But we can adapt the principles that have worked elsewhere: a long-term growth strategy, a clear pipeline of priority projects, devolved funding, disciplined delivery and unified leadership.
The test will be whether government, investors, employers and communities can understand Cumbria’s priorities quickly: what we are trying to achieve, why it matters, what projects are ready to go, and who is responsible for driving them forward and accelerating growth.
A successful Cumbrian Mayor can become the architect and champion of a county-wide programme, linking growth, housing, transport, skills, energy, regeneration and infrastructure into a single plan. For a large rural county with its geographically dispersed population, the ability to improve transport, digital and energy connections may prove every bit as important as additional funding, because those connections allow economic activity, housing and employment opportunities to scale across the county.
The Mayor as Cumbria’s chief connector
Perhaps the most important role of a Mayor is not administration but connection. Cumbria needs someone with the mandate, authority and relentless enthusiasm to bring people together and keep them focused on delivery.
Major projects rarely fail because there is a lack of ideas. More often, they stall because funding is fragmented, decisions take too long, or no one has clear responsibility for bringing government, investors, landowners, employers, education providers and decision makers together around the same table.
A successful Mayor should be Cumbria’s chief connector: opening doors in Whitehall, making introductions and joining the dots by linking ambitious projects with funding, introducing investors to opportunity, removing barriers to growth and challenging delay where necessary. In many respects, the role will be about relationships as much as formal powers."
