I'm Voting For Him - And, He's My Competitor!

John is a communicator. He runs Fusion, a direct competitor to Karol Marketing. Isn't he the last person I should find myself promoting?

Well, I am championing him. Because, in my opinion, he’s the best guy for the most challenging job to hit the North East in decades.

Yes, you’ve guessed it, I’m talking about the task of being the first ever North of Tyne Mayor. And, I say task, because that is exactly what it will be. It is a job where already many of the candidates have gone on record and said party political infighting should be put to one side.

But laudable as it is, I say this aspiration is almost impossible. Because, if the elected candidate is already aligned to one of our major political parties – Conservative or Labour – then, in my opinion, they will carry that allegiance for ever. Most likely, partisan party politics, which has sadly blighted the North East for decades, will also prevent the new North of Tyne Combined Authority from ever delivering meaningful change.

I have had a seat on all sorts of committees and one thing I am ashamed to say is that often local politicians constantly have a go at the other side. Sometimes they seem to relish the fight more than getting the job done. And, even if they are actually interested in achieving things, they are often so parochial as to only consider their immediate electorate, rather than the region and its populace as a whole.

So, when the election comes along on the 2nd May 2019 I’m going to vote for John McCabe, a truly independent independent.

Add a bunch of communications skills to John’s impartiality, and you get someone who has a better chance of creating an environment of political collaboration than either a Conservative or Labour candidate. He will be ideally placed to articulate a bold vision for our region.

And, remember, the job of the Mayor is to champion our region, to go to London and win support for big picture stuff. It is not, as many mistakenly assume, to deliver initiatives on the ground.

Leave that for Councillors and Council employees. So, whatever party you support, you are not being disloyal. You still get to vote for your local Councillor!

John has served as President of the North East England Chamber of Commerce, constantly fighting for businesses in the North East. I hear in the business community he is widely respected for his achievements. He has a modesty, illustrated by the fact that he took longer than many to consider whether he was the right man for the job. It was others that championed John, not John who championed John.

But the fact that John is well respected within the business community is not enough to have him become Mayor. We live in a world of ‘one person, one vote’ and that means we have to reach out and engage the wider community.

Voter habit means John has a challenge. Many will vote according to their typical party allegiance. But there is a chance.

In this election, you will have the opportunity to vote for your first and second preference candidate. John is my first preference and I hope he will be yours too.

But, if you feel the need to cast your first vote in another way, then please use your second vote in favour of John. That way, if your preferred choice falls at the first hurdle, John still has a chance to become your representative – as Mayor.

And, if like me, you believe in someone who is truly independent, non-partisan, with a track record of fighting for the North East then I ask you, not only to vote for John but, perhaps more importantly, I ask you to tell those you know. Tell your friends, tell your family, tell your colleagues. And let’s have a North of Tyne Mayor we can be proud of. Please Vote 4 John on 2nd May