Our true resilience shines through when we come together - Tracy Brabin

The worst cost of living crisis in a generation, spiralling energy prices and double-digit inflation, all overseen by three Prime Ministers, four Chancellors and five Education Secretaries.

With living standards below where they were a decade ago, it’s no wonder working people are angry and fighting to improve their lot. Nurses have joined postal workers, ambulance workers, rail staff and others in the public sector walking out over pay and conditions.

Against this backdrop, I’m proud of how our region has come together to protect the most vulnerable, to state our case when it comes to investment and to fight for equality with other parts of the UK.

But West Yorkshire has found its voice and we’re not shy of telling this Government where it is failing our people and what needs to be done.

As Mayor, I brought together Metro Mayors in the North forcing Ministers to accept the widespread failure of rail services in our region. I did the same when the government refused to extend the Bus Recovery Grant, earning us a six month extension to support services.

For years, Ministers have made promise after promise to fix the problems but all we have seen are U-turns, more instability and further chaos.

This is simply not good enough. I will no longer accept being fobbed off with half-baked plans which do not go anywhere near to the level of investment needed.

In 2023, I’ll continue to hold rail operators and the Secretary of State for Transport to account and get a better deal for rail users in our region and the rest of the North.

We should not have to pay the price for their failures.

And it isn’t only our railways which are letting passengers down. This year we’ve seen our bus services cut back by operators who are putting profits way ahead of people.

When I was elected in May 2021, I made sorting out our fractured and confusing bus tickets a priority because as a bus user myself, I knew it was expensive and prohibitive.

I’m incredibly proud of the Mayor’s Fares we introduced in September, making a single journey – anywhere, on any bus – only £2 and a maximum fare of £4.50 for a day ticket.

This is devolution in action and shows how we can help people on squeezed incomes while also reducing car use and cutting carbon emissions.

And there’s so much we’ve been able to do, thanks to our devolved powers, to help people and businesses through the worst cost of living crisis in generations.

Our actions to help ease the cost of living crisis go hand in hand with our efforts to tackle the climate emergency and create a net zero carbon West Yorkshire.

Investing to make our homes more energy efficient, improving public transport and championing new technologies, creates good skilled jobs, boosting the economy and increasing opportunities.

I want West Yorkshire to continue our pioneering spirit in our transition to a net zero carbon economy. That’s why we’re investing £40m over the next few years to get us on the right track. Levelling up and net zero are two sides of the same coin. If we are to truly level up and address inequality across the UK, the transition to a modern, clean, green economy has to be front and centre.

The safety of women and girls in West Yorkshire has long been a top priority for me, and I’m really proud that in November we published our first strategy to tackle the problems so many of us face, with innovative ideas that will make West Yorkshire a safer place for all.

Investment in culture and the creative sector can be a game changer for our local economy and the aspirations of young people.

The next three years in West Yorkshire will be a heady mix of yearlong festivals, from Leeds 2023 to Kirklees Year of Music to Year of Culture in Wakefield and Calderdale in 2024. This will culminate in Bradford as the UK’s City of Culture in 2025.

Together, these celebrations will provide the spark for what will be a long-lived cultural and creative revolution in the region. They will create much-needed investment, regeneration and job creation.

This creative crucible is an opportunity not only to leave a lasting economic legacy, but to inspire a new generation of artists and creators, and improve well being across our region.

Christmas has been tough for so many people. We can’t pretend that next year will not be challenging either.

But as we’ve shown this year, our true resilience shines through when we come together, as a region, to make our voice heard and work towards a brighter, fairer future for everyone.

Tracy Brabin is Mayor of West Yorkshire.