Liberal Democrat candidate Trevor Young on why he wants to be Greater Lincolnshire Mayor

Liberal Democrat Trevor Young has insisted his experience of collaborative working and challenging the government over its plans for RAF Scampton makes him an ideal candidate for the forthcoming Greater Lincolnshire mayoral election.

The Lincolnshire County Councillor and leader of West Lindsey District Council is one of six candidates hoping to become the area's first mayor after the government signed off the devolution deal last September.

Residents will be able to cast their vote when polls open at 7am on Thursday, May 1. The winner will lead the newly established Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority, which controls a £24 million annual investment fund and holds powers over economic development, skills, transport and planning. The mayor will also act as a direct link to Westminster.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service met Coun Young at West Lindsey District Council’s offices in Gainsborough, where he explained why he chose to stand and how he believes the Liberal Democrats have gone from strength to strength in recent years — gaining 64 parliamentary seats in last July’s General Election.

“In terms of the general public, I think they want more to be done — and that’s fundamental in terms of why I want to stand as mayor,” he said.

“I think as Liberal Democrats, we’ve had good success running councils. We are very community-focused and we run services very effectively. Most voters see us as the middle ground. They have lost trust in the Conservatives, and they’ve seen the way Labour have been quite diabolical in their first year in government."

He went on to point out that the party has fielded 67 candidates for the Lincolnshire County Council elections taking place on the same day as the mayoral vote.

After the former Conservative government announced plans to house up to 2,000 asylum seekers at the former RAF Scampton airbase near Lincoln, West Lindsey District Council became embroiled in a lengthy legal battle with the Home Office, as the proposal threatened a £300 million regeneration project unveiled in collaboration with development partner Scampton Holdings Ltd.

The asylum plans were finally scrapped following the change of government last summer, and the council renewed its bid to acquire the site in December.

Coun Young, who led the council through the nearly 18-month legal dispute, believes the experience shows he is prepared to “have a fight on very important issues” and do the “right thing for local people”.

“We’ve had a hard two years in terms of defending our position around RAF Scampton, and it’s been a steep learning curve for me on a personal level.

“We’ve taken some brave decisions, and we will continue to deliver RAF Scampton and make sure we get it over the line.”

He later pointed to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Scunthorpe Steelworks as a key issue the incoming mayor of Greater Lincolnshire will need to prioritise.

At the end of March, British Steel announced it could shut down its two blast furnaces in Scunthorpe as soon as June, potentially threatening 2,700 jobs, as US tariffs and environmental costs continue to impact its already struggling operations. On Wednesday (April 9), Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said a deal to keep the blast furnaces burning was “within sight” as government officials continue talks with the plant’s Chinese owners Jingye.

Trevor continued: “A key priority for any mayor coming into power will be the situation around Scunthorpe Steelworks. Labour want to come across as this supportive government, but time and time again we see them very weak in terms of decision-making in a timely way.

“I think it’s crucial that any mayor going forward has a real fight with the government in terms of ensuring we protect things like Scunthorpe Steelworks.”

When asked what his three main election promises were, the council leader highlighted supporting small businesses, ensuring young people have access to good education and opportunities, and making residents feel proud to live in Greater Lincolnshire.

“The most important thing, in terms of the elected mayor, is fully understanding that you won’t deliver anything unless you have good collaborative working and a good understanding of how all the authorities work across Greater Lincolnshire,” he added.

“I’ve built up that relationship with all the other leaders, and it’s about building on that. Without the support of each local authority, I think it would be a struggle to deliver services.”

“We do some remarkable things in Lincolnshire. We’ve got renewable energy on the Humber Bank, we’ve got a nuclear fusion site which is going to create thousands of jobs, and most of all we’ve got an excellent farming economy and researchers working on growing new types of food across the country.”

Should he be elected, he has confirmed he would stand down from his other roles, but gave no indication as to who might replace him as leader of West Lindsey District Council.

In his message to voters, Coun Young concluded: “This Labour government has been extremely poor in its first year. People need to vote for Lib Dems on May 1, not only in the mayoral election, but in the county elections too.”