Manifesto 2022
a plan that works - a mayor who can deliver

I’m Simon Biltcliffe and I am putting myself

forward to be the next Mayor of South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire is a beautiful place to live, work and visit, but all too few people outside the region know this, and even those who live here only know a bit of what is available. We really need a mayor who can “sell” the area to the rest of the UK and internationally, to bring jobs and visitors in and use marketing to connect the people who live here to the opportunities already here - allowing us all to live the most fulfilled life - whatever the age you are, and wherever you live within South Yorkshire.

To achieve this, South Yorkshire needs a fresh style of politician – one with plenty of real-world experience of getting things done, with real passion for Yorkshire, common sense and the ability to fight for the region. We have been let down by Labour locally and the Tories nationally: warm words and grand plans that come to nothing are simply not good enough - we need action. As Mayor, I will act to unlock South Yorkshire’s potential locally, nationally, and internationally.

I want to build a stronger, fairer, more creative & innovative South Yorkshire where we can all continue to learn and build better lives; an inclusive place that welcomes & nurtures innovative technology companies and becomes the natural homeland of responsible employers looking to expand.

As a local businessperson, I know much about the challenges as well as the opportunities our area faces and the improvements it needs – and have been actively involved in doing something about it, for some time. Successful business is the only form of sustainable wealth creation, and its taxes pay for the things that really matter in society like the NHS, police and defence.

I am passionate about reinvesting much of the profits from my business into our community, our country and beyond. My company Webmart have donated over £700,000 to different charitable causes, from tree-planting schemes in my hometown of Barnsley and rewilding projects in Scotland to enterprise schools in Ethiopia.

I will be a distinctively different kind of politician:

• If elected, I would not take a salary as mayor, but would instead donate the money to charity.

• I will also post my mayoral expenses online every month to ensure total transparency.

• I will do a weekly video of what I’ve been up to that week and why it will benefit South Yorkshire.

Every successful city and region needs to be economically successful to thrive, and that success can only be built by engaging its people in this mission, and this is something I will focus all my efforts on. But it can be supercharged with a government that supports, enables and invests in it, so I would be a vociferous ambassador for the region down in Westminster.

My aim as Mayor is to support and enable the wonderful, innovative, hard- working, artistic, imaginative population of South Yorkshire. I will prioritise:

• Focusing relentlessly on growing our local businesses, generating new, good-quality jobs, and encouraging inward investment.

• Working with councils and the UK government to improve educational provision and workplace opportunities for all ages.

• Improving our local transport network, making public transport more reliable and easier to access, while also supporting eco-friendly private car users.

Every citizen across South Yorkshire, whether they live, learn, or work here, should be able to feel valued and proud to call this area their own. My mission as the Mayor of South Yorkshire would be to raise ambition and attainment for everyone in South Yorkshire.

On the 5th of May, please vote for me, Simon Biltcliffe, the Yorkshire Party candidate.