Sion Simon set outs his campaign to become Mayor of Birmingham
In his first interview since announcing his campaign to become Birmingham’s first elected mayor, Sion Simon talks to Public Affairs Editor Paul Dale about his ambitions.
Sion Simon will campaign to become elected mayor of Birmingham on a platform of rescuing the city from divisive party politics and of celebrating its “great multi-cultural success story”.
Mr Simon, who hopes to be the Labour candidate for the expected mayoral election in 2012, said he would make economic development and job creation his number one priority.
He intends to appoint successful local business leaders to help run the city and has already begun talking to a number of possible candidates.
In his first major interview since announcing his candidacy a year ago, the 41-year-old former Erdington MP said he represented a new generation of Labour figures who believed passionately in the ability of powerful and charismatic mayors to make a difference in Britain’s biggest cities.
He promised to “reclaim Birmingham from London, reclaim it from the city council, almost to reclaim it from politics”.
Mr Simon said: “I definitely want business people involved in the administration of Birmingham.
“The whole point is to reclaim the city for the people who live and work here. It has got to be a very inclusive coalition that has to include the business sector.”
Before the end of the month the Government is expected to set out a timetable for a referendum asking voters whether they want a mayor and will make clear the arrangements for an election.
There has been speculation that a confirmatory referendum might be held after a mayor is in place, and Mr Simon said he believed Prime Minister David Cameron’s outspoken support for mayors meant that a way would be found to ensure that Birmingham held a mayoral election in May 2012.
Once a mayor is in place the role of the city council will diminish, with councillors outside of the cabinet having little more than a scrutiny role. The mayor would replace the council leader and have the power to select his own cabinet from councillors of any political party.
There would appear to be little chance of any of the current Conservative-Liberal Democrat cabinet being asked to join Mr Simon’s top team – or wanting to – and a number of highly-paid council officials might also find themselves surplus to requirements.
Mr Simon anticipates Labour beginning its selection procedure this May, giving the successful candidate about nine months to campaign. A suggestion that the union block vote might derail his chances of being selected were dismissed by Mr Simon, who explained that Labour’s rules allow only for one member, one vote in the selection procedure for mayoral elections outside of London and no special treatment for the unions.
Following widespread criticism of the method for electing Labour leader Ed Miliband, who owed his victory to the union block vote, Mr Simon says he does not expect the party to repeat the same mistake with mayoral elections.
This means that his chances of selection lie firmly in the hands of Birmingham’s 5,000 or so Labour members.
Nevertheless, to make sure of getting on to a shortlist for the Labour nomination Mr Simon must get support from constituency parties, trade unions and other affiliated organisations.
He already has endorsements from three Birmingham Labour MPs – Liam Byrne (Hodge Hill), Khalid Mahmood (Perry Barr) and Gisela Stuart (Edgbaston). Support from Jack Dromey, his replacement as MP for Erdington, is thought to be a given.
Having quit as an MP and resigned as Creative Industries Minister to concentrate on his mayoral ambitions, he recognises that this is make-or-break time for him.
Born in Caernarfonshire to Welsh-speaking parents, Mr Simon grew up in Birmingham, attended Handsworth Grammar School, joined the Labour Party at 16 and went on to Oxford University.
He is probably not the best known Labour figure in Birmingham – that accolade almost certainly goes to 64-year-old council opposition leader Sir Albert Bore, who will be battling against Mr Simon for the mayoral nomination.
