Mayoral candidates to be quizzed by young entrepreneurs
‘IT SHOULD BE A FASCINATING EVENING’: Ian Cass, chair of Microbusiness Alliance, speaking at a THUD Yorkshire event at Humber Street Gallery in 2024
By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor
Candidates competing to become the first regional mayor for Hull and East Yorkshire will undergo a grilling from young entrepreneurs and their supporters at a hustings in Hull next month.
Organisers of THUD Yorkshire have invited all the parties contesting the mayoral ballot to take part in the election special on Friday, April 11.
The event – part of The Hook-up Dinner series – will also feature pitches by three young entrepreneurs who will be battling it out for a £500 prize donated by the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank (JCYEB) to help develop their businesses.
In addition to the JCYEB, the event is sponsored by the Microbusiness Alliance and Hull-based design and production business Design Over Technology.
Ian Cass, chair of Microbusiness Alliance and a long standing supporter of young entrepreneurs, said: “The THUD Yorkshire events in Hull and East Riding have been a great example of young entrepreneurs presenting their businesses to a wider audience, practice their sales and presentation skills and gain some financial reward in the process.
“Now they have a chance to hear how the potential candidates for mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire will support them going forward, hear their plans for growing small and micro businesses in the region and ask them questions. It should be a fascinating evening."
David Bower, founder of Design Over Technology, said: “We believe it's important to nurture aspiring young entrepreneurs and linking up with candidates for the mayoral elections is an opportunity to find out what they will do to support micro business owners like me in general and young entrepreneurs in particular.”
A full house is expected at the invitation-only event which will open with the young entrepreneurs setting out why they should win the investment from JCYEB and facing questions from the audience.
After a break for a buffet and networking, the mayoral candidates will take centre stage. Each of them will get the chance to make a five-minute pitch on what they would do as mayor to support micro businesses in general and young entrepreneurs in particular.
ELECTION COUNTDOWN: Matt Jukes, Hull City Council chief executive and Local Returning Officer for Hull, posting the Notice of Election in Hull’s Guildhall
Phil Ascough, who has run his own media and PR microbusiness for nearly 16 years in a career spanning more than 45 years, will then host as the candidates take questions from the audience.
Phil said: “The mayoral election is massively important and potentially a real game-changer for our region. The winner will have control over an investment fund worth £13.3m every year and it’s vital that the money is put to good use to regenerate Hull and East Yorkshire.
“The candidates need to earn our votes by presenting solid plans and policies to improve skills, transport and economic development generally. We want to see that the new mayor is committed to our region and in tune with the issues that really matter.
“THUD Yorkshire is a great opportunity for the candidates to learn from the microbusiness sector which is often overlooked and under-rated, and for young entrepreneurs to show what they can do. It’s also vital that the wider public make themselves aware of what’s at stake in this election, use their vote to make Hull and East Yorkshire an even better place to live and work, and don’t get distracted by gimmicks and culture wars.”
Yesterday, Matt Jukes, Hull City Council chief executive and Local Returning Officer for Hull, posted the Notice of Election in Hull Guildhall for the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority Mayoral Election, following its publication by the Combined Area Returning Officer, Alan Menzies of East Riding Council.
Matt Jukes said: “With the first Combined Authority Mayoral election fast approaching, I’d like to encourage all residents who aren’t already, to register to vote. In particular, any residents who have moved house, changed their name or turned 18 in the last year will need to register so that they are able to vote.
“It is also important to remind electors that they now need to show acceptable photo ID in order to vote at a polling station or, of course, they can register for a postal vote.
“These elections are the first opportunity for residents to have their say on who will represent them as Mayor of the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority. Working alongside local leaders they will be an important voice for our region, helping to secure inward investment, create jobs and ensure our people have the right skills to take advantage of existing and new opportunities, making Hull and East Yorkshire a better place to live, work and do business.”
The deadline to register to vote is Friday, April 11 and it takes just five minutes online here.