Tag: featured

Frank Adlington-Stringer, the Green Party candidate for East Midlands Mayor, will only accept the average wage as your Mayor. The role is anticipated to have a pay package of around £80,000 but Frank has promised to stand alongside the community by taking the average salary and donating the rest to local causes.

The Conservatives candidate, Ben Bradley, has sparked controversy for standing for election for another taxpayer funded role despite already being a County Councillor, Leader of the Council and Member of Parliament. His participation in the race for a fourth role – East Midlands Mayor – has raised many questions about whether Ben Bradley will be ready to do the job from day one.

Frank Adlington-Stringer is the only Green Councillor in North East Derbyshire and has said, “I have always published my Council payslips (roughly £650 a month) online and I will continue to do so as Mayor. We are in a cost of living crisis and 14 years of Tory austerity has decimated our communities. I would not feel comfortable earning more than double the average worker’s salary in a taxpayer funded role”.

Ben Bradley (Conservative) has now publicly stated that if elected as Mayor, he will not immediately resign as a Member of Parliament and will instead wait for a General Election to be held. This means that a Conservative Mayor will be juggling multiple full time jobs until January 2025 at the very latest. 

Frank criticised the Conservative candidate for taking such an approach, “I have questioned Ben Bradley publicly about this on multiple occasions as I think it is completely unacceptable to hold two taxpayer funded, full time roles at the same time. It erodes public trust.”

“My council work is essentially voluntary at £650 a month, but Ben Bradley could be taking home well over £170,000 with Members of Parliament being given a pay rise to over £90,000 and the Mayor earning around £80,000. To me, that is wrong and simply should not be allowed.”

By donating the entirety of his Council salary (£650 a month) to local projects in Wingerworth, the ward he represents, and donating the Mayoral salary above the average income to charities in the East Midlands, Frank is hoping to set a new standard for those holding public office. “It only takes one of us”, he said. “By donating my earnings, I am immediately raising the bar for all politicians whilst demonstrating to the public that a different kind of politics really is possible”.

At an event in Chesterfield, Frank Adlington-Stringer was the only candidate to commit to extending the temporary Northern Gateway lease for the entireity of his mayoral term.

Lifelong Chesterfield resident, Frank Adlington-Stringer, pledged at an East Midlands Mayoral event at the Winding Wheel to conduct his business from Chesterfield rather than letting Derby and Nottingham take all of the new authority’s influence.

The new Northern Gateway development was identified by independent officers as the temporary home for the inaugural East Midlands Mayor, who will be elected by you on 2nd May. There is a six month break clause which will allow the winner of the election to make a choice on the permanent location.

Frank, who is an elected Councillor in Wingerworth, said, “The other candidates have been spending their time in our cities but as the only Derbyshire-based candidate it is really important to me that Chesterfield and our rural communities benefit from this opportunity. It was an easy decision for me to make, Chesterfield has great transport links and proud history, as your new Mayor I will ensure that we link up the region which brings economic prosperity to us all.”

It was live on stage that Frank made his commitment yet none of the other candidates – Ben Bradley (Conservative), Claire Ward (Labour) and Matt Relf (Independent) – all failed to make the same pledge.

Whilst the two cities mean a great deal to Frank, his father’s family has always lived in Derby City and Frank completed his degree in Nottingham, he recognises the need to spread opportunity across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

Frank continued, “This is a fantastic opportunity to link up our patch and I was disappointed that none of the other candidates joined my pledge to ensure that Chesterfield is well represented. This new Mayoral role is all about taking power away from London and into our region, let’s not allow all of that power to again fall to the cities.”

You can watch what Frank had to say here: WATCH VIDEO

You can read the article here: https://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/politics/political-opinion-chesterfield-to-keep-east-midlands-mayoral-office-pledges-green-party-candidate-4564152

GB News asks why should the East Midlands welcome the creation of the new authority?

Frank said: “The majority (45%) of the public opposed the creation of an East Midlands Mayor, yet the politicians, led by Conservative candidate Ben Bradley, went ahead and did it anyway! Nothing like creating a taxpayer-funded job for yourself, Ben. If we are going to have a Mayor then it should be someone who listens to our communities. That is exactly what I propose to do. As your Mayor, I will deliver a Green Industrial Revolution for our communities and involve you every step of the way. My £1billion plan for the region will be guided by citizens assemblies, ensuring that our economic transformation provides opportunity for us all.”

GB News asks why should the East Midlands vote for you?

He said: “I have a plan for a Green Industrial Revolution in the East Midlands. This means reigniting our proud manufacturing past and ensuring our local economies are fit for the future. I will deliver an integrated and modern transport network to connect industry across our region. I will provide free future-ready training for job seekers and those looking to transition providing a huge boost to our manufacturers. I will build at least £16million worth of energy-efficient, sustainable, and genuinely affordable community housing ensuring that Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire are leading the way. I will make the East Midlands a powerhouse of the future, rather than just continuing with this failing business as usual.”

GB News asks why should the East Midlands trust a new layer of politician?

Frank said: “Labour’s Nottingham City Council is bankrupt, whilst the Conservative’s Derbyshire County Council is tanking due to a £33million budget black hole. The establishment has failed us, yet again. Of course, electing a red or blue mayor won’t change anything, but I will offer real scrutiny and hold them to account. Unlike the others, I am not whipped by party hierarchy meaning that I am free to do what is best for the East Midlands, not London. I pledge to spend all of the Mayoral budget in our region, and where that’s not possible, invest in startups to ensure we can in the future.”

Read the full story: https://www.gbnews.com/news/east-midlands-mayor-elections-latest-devolution