Opposition councillors call for greater transparency over Brierley Homes‘Patch up’ approach to filling North Yorkshire’s potholes criticisedTories accused of ‘making a mockery of democracy’ in North Yorkshire after losing majorityHousing company using council ‘like bank of mum and dad’, say GreensCouncil chiefs defend car park sign expenditureGreen party candidate pledges not to ‘overpromise’ in mayoral campaign

The Green Party’s Kevin Foster says he does not see himself as a politician, more of an “ordinary person done good”.

Mr Foster’s background includes serving in the British Army reserves for 30 years before moving into politics.

He successfully stood for election on RIchmondshire District Council in 2019, before being elected to the newly created North Yorkshire Council three years later in Hipswell and Colburn division.

Since then, he has gone onto become the council’s armed forces champion as well as the Green Party leader on North Yorkshire Council.

Much of Mr Foster’s campaign has focussed on the “circular economy”, which is defined as reusing products, labour and materials in order to get the best value from them.

He points to the potential for green technology and artificial intelligence in the county as an example of how the economy could work.

“Why can’t we be a leader in those technologies and bring them in?”

He has also campaigned for better public transport and for more funding from government as part of its devolution deal.

Kevin Foster.

Kevin Foster.

Mr Foster said the £18 million a year which currently makes up the mayoral budget would need to be “10 times more” in order for the mayor to make a difference in the county.

When asked how he would intend to get more money from government, he said his political career has been spent working with opposition parties.

“Being a minority party and the only one in Richmond, I learned very quickly how you have got to work in a team.

“I hear from people that politics is broken, well lets have someone else in there to make a difference.

“I have worked with Conservatives in Richmondshire District Council. I still work with the Conservatives and I work with other parties.I do not make a judgement on party, I make a judgement on that idea.”

Mr Foster added that he was not whipped by his party, so would be able to work with opposition leaders on the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.

‘Not going to overpromise’

As part of his campaign, Mr Foster has also stopped short of announcing any marquee policies and pledges.

So far, he has committed to setting up a mayoral innovation fund and a poverty support fund.

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Foster whether he would use the powers to franchise bus services afforded to the mayor as part of his transport plans.

In response, he said he was not going to “overpromise and under deliver”.

Mr Foster said that part of the mayor’s remit will be to hammer out proposals with the combined authority’s staff, including interim head of paid service James Farrar.

He said:

“People make these promises, but when they go into that room and start the discussions they are going to be surprised because it is not that easy.

“The last person who made big promises and went running in somewhere was Liz Truss. That did not work out well.”

Read more:

Heading into polling day, does Mr Foster feel confident that he can secure the mayoral position for the Green Party?

He points to the fact that North Yorkshire Council currently has four Green councillors and that national parties have adopted green policies over the years.

“If we do not keep voting for what we believe in, we do not change anything.”

The York and North Yorkshire mayor will be chosen by residents of the region in an election on Thursday, May 2, 2024.

The deadline to register to vote is 11:59pm, Tuesday, April 16, 2024.

The full list of candidates are:

Stray Ferret chairs mayoral hustings event

The Stray Ferret chaired a hustings event this week as the race to become the county’s first directly elected mayor enters its final three weeks.

Liberal Democrat Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, Conservative Keane Duncan, the Green Party’s Kevin Foster and Labour’s David Skaith were quizzed in front of a live audience of business owners.

Tamsin O’Brien, the owner of the Stray Ferret, chaired the business-themed event, which was jointly organised by the Confederation of British Industry, the Federation of Small Businesses, West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and Make UK.

Each candidate outlined what they stood for and was quizzed by Ms O’Brien as well as audience members.

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister

Ms Cunliffe-Lister is a North Yorkshire councillor and former commercial property lawyer who now owns Swinton Park, near Masham

She said 20,000-acre Swinton Park had doubled in size to employ 150 people and and diversified to include activities such as camping and a cookery school.

Ms Cunliffe-Lister said:

“I am the only candidate with the leadership, the business experience and the skills that are essential for this role. I am a politician with a career — I am not a career politician.”

Keane Duncan

Former Daily Star journalist Mr Duncan, who is the executive member for highways at North Yorkshire Council, pledged a range of initiatives including free car parking for every town and city, support for dualling of the A64, £1 bus fares for under 21s, the region’s first mutual bank for businesses, and buying and restoring Scarborough’s Grand Hotel.

He said:

“I am standing in this election to shake things up, to do things in a different way, to break from the same old status quo politics that have held our region back for too long.”

Asked whether the mayor will be able to fund such schemes such as free parking, he said his plans for two hours or less of free parking currently costed the council £2.9 million and he would pledge that sum.

Kevin Foster

Mr Foster, the Green Party leader on North Yorkshire Council and a former army reservist, said not being a member of one of the large political parties meant he would be able to unite the different factions at Conservative-controlled North Yorkshire Council and Labour-run City of York Council.

He talked about the need for “a first class bidding system when we go for grants”, and creating “a better, cleaner, greener place for our businesses”. Mr Foster said:

“If one of the big parties get in it could be politics again as normal. i’ve never been whipped by my party, they would never tell me what to do, I’ve got freedom to make my own choices. I am focused on the task and have leadership skills.”

David Skaith

Harrogate-born Labour candidate David Skaith, who owns a shop and chairs York High Street Forum, said the first thing he would do as mayor would be to introduce a high street fund that would provide access to funding and support for businesses.

Mr Skaith said:

“Coming from having my own business, I don’t believe in having huge bold plans that are not realistic. I can’t buy into that and it’s not how business functions.

“We must build truly affordable homes for ownership and for rent, an integrated transport system with simpler harmonised ticketing system.”

The evening was a selective hustings event, run in accordance with electoral commission guidelines. This meant the Independent candidates, Keith Tordoff and Paul Haslam, were not eligible to take part.

Voters go the polls to elect the mayor on May 2.

Read more: