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Steve Rotheram, incumbent metro mayor of Liverpool City Region and Labour’s candidate for May’s election, has published a manifesto with five key campaign promises.

With mayoral elections looming in May, candidates of various political stripes hope to break Labour’s hold over the Manchester and Liverpool city regions, but whether less experienced contenders can break the current monopolies remains to be seen. 

The Port of Liverpool’s ‘freeport’ designation, removed in 2012, has been reinstated in the Chancellor’s budget announcement, and is expected to bring investment, trade and jobs to the city region.

Key decisions for the city council have been set out in a report by consultancy Eunomia, to be considered at cabinet level this week.

The local authority has set out a preferred course of action after it secured £27.8m in Future High Streets Fund support for Birkenhead and New Ferry.

Local authorities have redoubled efforts to convince Chancellor Rishi Sunak to support projects such as a new Deeside Parkway station and the modernisation of Chester’s station in the Budget Statement on 3 March.

Peel L&P’s proposed multi-modal terminal on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal has been included in Liverpool City Region’s bid for ‘freeport’ status, despite it being in Greater Manchester.

The inquiry into Parkside Regeneration’s proposed 1m sq ft industrial estate in St Helens has concluded and the developer has begged Northern Powerhouse secretary Grant Shapps to approve the scheme.