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Ex-John Lewis boss Andy Street defends £1m mayor campaign | Ex-John Lewis boss Andy Street defends £1m mayor campaign |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The Conservative candidate in the West Midlands metro mayor race has defended spending up to £1m on campaigning. | |
Andy Street said he "had not spent quite £1m" as reports suggested but accepted he had "spent a substantial amount more than my opponents". | Andy Street said he "had not spent quite £1m" as reports suggested but accepted he had "spent a substantial amount more than my opponents". |
The ex-John Lewis boss said the cost was "absolutely appropriate" and the 4 May election was "a new start in democracy" for the region. | |
Other candidates said it was unfair and called for the rules to be tightened. | |
Spending in the final weeks of campaigning is capped at £130,000, but there is no limit before then. | |
On Thursday, six people will bid to become the region's first metro mayor, taking on powers over economic development, education and skills, housing and transport. | |
All six raised £5,000 to be included in a West Midlands Combined Authority booklet. | |
Mr Street said: "Everyone has the same rules to work within, we were able to raise that money." | Mr Street said: "Everyone has the same rules to work within, we were able to raise that money." |
The candidate was asked by BBC Radio 4's Today programme about being referred to as the "Donald Trump of British politics". | |
He replied: "Everyone loves that line. There's one similarity of course, a business background... but there the similarity ends in terms of our beliefs." | |
Labour's candidate Sion Simon told the Today programme the regulated period begins much earlier for general elections. | |
He added: "You can't blame Andy for sticking to the rules but it does beg the question whether the rules are right. | |
"No rules at all, a complete free-for-all, until six weeks before polling day - I don't think that's the right way to go about this. | |
The BBC has asked Mr Simon about the cost of his campaign but he has not commented. | |
Beverley Nielsen, the Liberal Democrat candidate, said she had raised about £50,000 for campaigning and could not afford to leaflet every house. | |
She said mayoral elections should have the same funding regulations as other elections, adding: "The public should hear the voice of all parties." | |
UKIP's Pete Durnell said a spending cap was needed to give "small parties a chance". | |
"Aside from the booklet, my campaign would have cost £3,000. It is not a level playing field - we are not even on the same field." | |
James Burn is representing the Green Party and Graham John Stevenson is the Communist candidate. |