Retirement had finally caught up with me, or so I thought. But after two months intensive campaigning I have an important new job.
It contributes a tidy £6.75 billion in GVA to the national economy each year as a net contributor to Treasury coffers.
We can avoid the mistakes of the past by locating a new factory for electric car batteries in the regional home of vehicle manufacturing.
We have made savings by selling off out of date police buildings, as well as scrapping the ranks of Chief Superintendents and Chief Inspectors.
This hugely important industry is undergoing rapid change. For the region that created the golden age of motoring, that’s an opportunity.
Providing security, insurance, maintenance and renovation of these vacant properties costs £74 million a year. Many could be converted into housing.
Running a unique waste to fuel facility, powered by solar energy, we are able to treat all of our municipal waste locally, creating a useful fuel for industry.
A flexible labour market, a well-regarded legal system, and comparatively favourable demographics relative to the major European economies are all valuable assets.
The answer seems likely to be yes. But there are still implications for the politics and economics of Brexit.
UKIP’s decline will probably allow the three main parties to each claim an increased vote share. Afterwards, the Tories will still be the largest party in local government.
Developers must hand over the payments agreed – and councils need to put more thought into spending it effectively.
“The language should be that of giving people their chance to succeed and of being on their side – a “people politics” that many practice locally but which must be scaled up.”
They have gone either way in successive elections, but their recent results show up electoral trends that helping the Tories.
We are MPs who supported Remain and Leave respectively, and are looking for a Prime Minister who will be realistic and honest with the EU.