Congratulations to Tony Caldeira who has been chosen to be the Conservatives candidate in the election of Mayor of Liverpool taking place on May 3.
Tony announced his campaign at the time of the Global Entrepreneurship Congress. His home textiles company was founded on a Liverpool market stall and now manufactures and sells its products around the world. He wants to make Liverpool not only a Capital of Culture but also a Capital of Enterprise Culture.
We all have happy memories of the Conservatives winning Liverpool in the 1979 Euro elections. I fear the prospects for Tony being elected Mayor as less promising. But he will be able to build support for the Party and ensure that the Conservative message is heard in the city.
The election uses the Alternative Vote system. I suspect that Phil Redmond will stand as an independent – although his teasing over his intentions is becoming tiresome. I think he would merit a second preference from Liverpudlian Tories.
In his Liverpool Daily Post column, Redmond recently wrote:
Perhaps now folk will realise that, well, public sector bureaucracies are not best placed to promote local business activity. Local entrepreneurs don’t need task forces, groups, strategic plans or having their businesses grouped and branded in clusters.
They just need imagination And, a bit of encouragement. And that, should be a key role of any potential Mayor.
On Channel 4 outbidding the rights to the Grand National, Redmond wrote:
Channel 4 is an innovator. They may be open to developing something new, exciting and more city-focused around the Grand National. Someone should pick up a phone.