Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward

📺 𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 Ahead of Wednesday’s budget, I sat down with BBC East Midlands to share my thoughts on what we need as a region. We’ve been badly underfunded for decades and that must change.

𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗿𝗯𝘆 A really exciting milestone in Derby's Great British Railway journey, yesterday. We welcomed the Secretary of State for Transport to the city to meet with rail industry to hear about our plans for a new Rail Campus – a hub for training, growth & collaboration.

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 Today, I'm in London, banging the drum for the East Midlands and speaking to businesses who want to spend their money in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Right now, a really exciting conversation about the opportunities for investment in sport, film, art and digital in our region. From our bustling cities to the stunning scenery and heritage spots, we so much to offer our creative industry sector.

𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗜𝗟 𝗢𝗙 𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 Last week, I was in Newcastle and Edinburgh with fellow regional mayors, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and the First Ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Council will meet every quarter and will allow for increased partnership working, helping to further bring regional insight to national policy, and ensure everyone the government afford combined authorities greater powers and opportunities to boost economic growth. I will use my seat on this council to fight for the East Midlands, ensuring we get the best deals and funding to decide our own destiny.

𝗨𝗞 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 Hopped over the border this morning to speak at UK Construction Week in Birmingham. I shared my vision for new homes and infrastructure as well as training more local people to meet the opportunities we have. Great to meet East Mids businesses too!

𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗙 ASI (Newark) ✈ It was an honour to attend the opening of the Air and Space Institute. This wonderful facility will help young people from all walks of life get well-paid jobs in a growing industry. Congratulations to all who made it happen!

This week I’m in Liverpool, banging the drum for the East Midlands. So far, I've had the chance to share my ambition for the future of clean, green jobs, better public transport and how Mayors can play their part in creating healthier communities. The East Midlands has a proud history of powering the country and we can do so again.

🏰🌳 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 Today, I hosted a successful visitor economy event at National Civil War Centre in Newark as part of my ongoing Visit East Midlands initiative. A joint event with Visit Notts and the East Midlands Combined County Authority gathering businesses, local attractions, and cultural institutions from across Nottinghamshire to celebrate the East Midlands’ vibrant tourism sector. The enthusiasm and commitment shown today underscores the tremendous potential we have to attract even more visitors to our beautiful region.

𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗕𝗖 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 📺 I'm calling on the government to help me tackle the shocking educational disparities in the East Midlands, with the region's GCSE and A Level results lagging behind the rest of the country. We must close the attainment gap and ensure brighter futures for young people across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

🚀𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗗𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗔𝗦 𝗠𝗔𝗬𝗢𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗠𝗜𝗗𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗦 Since officially starting the job on May 7, I've made sure that the East Midlands Combined County Authority has hit the ground running. Here's what we've already achieved, and there's so much more to come!