We’re continuing to introduce our readers to Liverpool’s politicians. Today, we’ll be discussing the Labour politician who became the Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region in 2017—Steve Rotheram. You can read all about the politician on the pages of the website liverpoolyes.com.
Childhood and Youth
The future politician was born in Kirkby in 1961. He grew up in a large family with seven children. However, his parents divorced during his teenage years. Steve attended Ruffwood School. At the age of 16, he decided to leave his studies to become a bricklayer. An unusual choice, wouldn’t you say? Yet, Rotheram didn’t just become a bricklayer; at 22, he founded his own company. This happened because of a negative experience Steve went through. He had spent eight months rebuilding infrastructure on the Falkland Islands and saw how workers were being exploited on construction sites. That’s why he decided not to work for anyone else anymore. This led to the creation of “Rotheram Builders”. Alongside his work, Steve studied to gain admission to Liverpool John Moores University. He later worked as a business manager at the Learning and Skills Council.
Political Career
Rotheram began his political career in 2002. He was elected to represent Fazakerley as a Labour councillor on Liverpool City Council. Just six years later, Steve Rotheram became the Lord Mayor of Liverpool (from 2008 to 2009).
In 2010, Rotheram was selected as the Labour Party’s candidate for the Liverpool Walton parliamentary seat. After becoming an MP, he was elected as a member of the Communities and Local Government Committee. A year later, the politician joined the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
What the Politician is Remembered for
It’s worth noting that Steve Rotheram was one of the signatories of an open letter to Ed Miliband. The politician urged the political party to oppose austerity, bring rail franchises back into public ownership, and strengthen collective bargaining mechanisms.
In 2016, Rotheram announced his intention to run for the Labour Party nomination for the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region. A year later, the politician was elected Mayor. Rotheram first established the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. He also promised voters to improve the region’s transport infrastructure.
During his first term, Steve Rotheram is remembered for leading a successful campaign to strip Northern Rail of their franchise; overseeing significant modernisations of the Merseyrail network; and opening the first new station on the network at Maghull North.
In 2019, the politician introduced half-price travel for students aged 19-24 and launched Be More, a UCAS-style apprenticeship portal. That same year, he also launched the first phase of the Housing First programme, a pilot scheme that provides housing and support for homeless people.
Steve Rotheram also proved his worth during the development of the COVID-19 pandemic. The politician managed to secure additional government support for businesses affected by restrictions and lockdowns. Later, Steve Rotheram announced the creation of a £150 million COVID Recovery Fund. This Fund was designed to support the economy and create new jobs post-pandemic.
Rotheram’s work and initiatives must have resonated with Liverpool residents, as he was re-elected for a second term in 2021.
That’s the life story and political career of the Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram. We hope you found our material interesting and learned more about a key politician in our city.
Are you a fan of the Liverpool City Region Mayor, who has been elected to the post twice? We look forward to your comments on social media.