Liverpool mayoral candidate: Jade Marsden

People living in the Liverpool City Region (the five Merseyside metropolitan boroughs of Liverpool, Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral, plus Halton in Cheshire) will elect their next mayor on 2 May. Here's what you need to know about all of the candidates and their top priorities.

Conservative candidate Jade Marsden says she wants to make the Liverpool City Region 'the best place to buy a house, do business, work and raise a family'

Ms Marsden, who came second in the Metro Mayoral vote in 2021, grew up in Liverpool and says she saw her parents - her dad is a civil servant and her mum recently retired from being a nurse in the NHS after 55 years - regularly helping people in the community.

Ms Marsden wants to invest in the city region's transport infrastructure

She says she wants to replace the old Kingsway Tunnel so that it has cycle access, invest in a transport link from Liverpool's North and South Docks linking up with Everton's new Bramley Moore stadium, reopen disused stations around Halton, and work with Lancashire County Council on the Ormskirk lines

Increase scrutiny of political decisions, says Ms Marsden

She wants public-facing scrutiny panels to oversee local government spending, as well as local surveys to guide decision-making on infrastructure investment.

Make it easier for companies to take on apprentices, says Ms Marsden

She wants apprenticeship hubs to create one point of access for businesses taking on an apprentice. She would also help firms take full advantage of the apprenticeship levy.

She says the region should be better for people with disabilities

Ms Marsden said she would invest in making the region more disability friendly, including support for those with hidden disabilities.

Support people to fulfil their potential, she says, whether that is in education or elsewhere

Ms Marsden says "We have some fantastic universities [and] we need to retain that talent". She also wants to make sure tools are provided for people who don’t feel that the education route is [right] for them to thrive.

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