Meet Simon Lepori

The mayor of Greater Manchester wields a huge amount of power. The mayor has control over police and crime, over the fire service, planning and housing policy, transport, culture, sports and manages a nearly £6.2 billion health and social care budget. It's a big job.

The current mayor Andy Burnham has shied away from handling anything unpopular - leaving the police services to fall into special measures while grandstanding on any issue that gets him press coverage. It's clear that the current mayor is interested in raising his political profile rather than delivering for residents across Greater Manchester.

Meanwhile, the conservative candidate has taken a leaf right out of Boris Johnson's handbook - and has been running a campaign of lies.

That's not what the residents of Greater Manchester want or need.

There are huge health disparities in Greater Manchester. Huge economic disparities. There's such a missed opportunity for Greater Manchester to be a beacon of green, high-tech jobs. That's why my priorities are:

🩺 building a healthcare system fit for the 21st century in Greater Manchester

👮 refocusing policing back into communities, with well-funded youth services from local councils to help stem the tide and cycle of crime and disorder

🚆 a transport system that works for Greater Manchester not against it

🏠 and a housing plan that puts people first, not developers.

I've worked in the health and social care sector for 17 years and I returned to the NHS Frontline during the coronavirus pandemic. I've been a Liberal Democrat campaigner in Greater Manchester for 5 years - and we've got a path to get a great result here in May.