After more than seven years of dedicated team efforts to secure a devolution deal, significant powers over transport, adult education, as well as a £400mn investment fund, will soon be handed over to local leaders. Cllr Mike Ross, who has been at the helm of Hull City Council since 2022, was part of the team that was instrumental in getting the deal across the line. First elected as a councillor at the age of just 21, the Liberal Democrat leader says that now, more than two decades later, he is ready to take on the role of mayor.
“I want the best for this part of the world. My experience, know-how and the skills I have got means I am ready to hit the road running from day one,” he says.
Mike Ross’s vision for the mayoral role
Given his role in shaping the deal, I was keen to learn more about Ross’s vision for the role of mayor. His reply focused on the change and opportunities that the new combined authority will bring, but also on the soft power the mayor will hold as a representative for the region.
“It has to be about doing things differently,” he explains. “We are not going to be able to achieve new results for this region if we keep doing the same things over and over again.
“Devolution is all about bringing more investment and jobs to the region, and that is undoubtedly what I, as mayor, would be hoping to do. The other side of it is using the voice and the weight that the position of mayor has to speak out for what’s right and what’s important for the people who live here.”
One of the most immediate and tangible areas where the new mayor can make an impact is transport — a top priority for Ross.
Transport overhaul a top priority for the Liberal Democrat
Improving transport will be a key challenge for the incoming mayor, as this is the only area where functions will be devolved from the Hull and East Riding councils. If he is elected, overseeing rail electrification will be a priority for Ross, and he would also work with bus companies to find out what changes would be appropriate for the region.
He would look to Manchester’s Bee Network for ideas, he says, but the specific plans will depend on the outcome of consultations.
“We need to do what’s best for the region rather than just copying what’s been done elsewhere,” he continues.
But Ross’s plans go beyond improving how people get around — he also wants to strengthen the local economy and create more opportunities close to home.
Investing in jobs, skills and the high street
On the economy, he talks about the importance of retaining skilled people in the region and promoting education so that businesses can fill vacancies from local talent.
“One of the key things for me is investment in the skills side so that local residents have the opportunities in local businesses and local businesses have the skills they need,” he says.
“We often talk about the Siemens factory, but that should be one of many, and at the moment it’s still one of few. We need to see that repeated.”
The factory, which opened in Hull in 2016, employs 1,300 people, and in 2024 signed a £1bn contract to supply wind turbines to Scottish Power.
He also points to investing in high streets as a way to attract people to the region, saying that creating towns where all the necessary shops and services are readily accessible will encourage residents to stay.
While investment and job creation are key pillars of his campaign, Ross also recognises that quality of life, including access to healthcare, plays a vital role in building a thriving region.
Although the mayor will not have specific powers over healthcare, the topic will also be on the mayor’s agenda given the major issues residents face in accessing primary care. He says that as a local leader, the mayor has the power to bring people into the rooms and put the issue on the table, and that he would make this a priority if elected.
“It would be impossible to have improving wealth and improving economy without a fit and able work force to be able to deliver that.”
Ross on why he deserves your vote
With a broad agenda that touches on transport, the economy, and healthcare access, Ross is positioning himself as a unifying figure across the region’s political divide.
The political landscape in Hull and East Yorkshire is diverse, with Hull City Council controlled by the Liberal Democrats and the East Riding Council led by the Conservatives, while the region’s MPs are a mix of Labour and Conservative. Ross says he believes this race will be between him and the Labour candidate, Margaret Pinder.
His message to voters before they head to the polls is this: “If people are not happy with the way that the Labour government has been running things over the last few months and want to send them a message, please back the Liberal Democrats on 1 May.”
