A METRO Mayor candidate said the role should not be a “one-man band” as he formally launched his campaign.

Chris Foote-Wood, Liberal Democrat candidate for the Tees Valley Mayor, spoke at a rally of party members in Middlesbrough to kick off his campaign.

He had hoped party leader Tim Farron would launch his campaign, but said the General Election announcement meant he was unable to make it.

Mr Foote-Wood, brother of the late Victoria Wood, said the job of the Mayor was to chair the Tees Valley Combined Authority on an impartial and non-partisan basis, and said it was important the area did not remain dominated by just one party.

“There’s an important point here,” he said. “Five of the six members of the Combined Authority are the five Labour council leaders. If the Mayor is also Labour, Tees Valley will be a one-party state.

“It’s my ambition to lead the combined authority as an all-party body. As leader of Wear Valley Council, when I led a delegation to Westminster I always included members of the opposition. It is far more effective to represent yourselves to government, to business and to the world as an all-party body, representing the whole of the Tees Valley and not just in the narrow interests of one political party.

“With co-operation and partnership with other bodies such as Tees Valley Unlimited, as Mayor I will see to it that everything government promised in the Tees Valley Devolution Agreement is implemented in full and in timely fashion. And that, I promise you, will mean prosperity, thousands of new jobs and a better future for our children and grandchildren.”

He said he had been campaigning hard since being selected last month, but the official launch had been delayed in the hope of Mr Farron doing the honours.

Mr Foote-Wood added: “My late wife Frances and I helped Tim Farron fight his first general election in 1992 when he was only 21.

“He stood in the safe Labour seat of North West Durham, when Theresa May was the Conservative candidate.

“Even then we could see that Tim had the potential to be party leader, and so it proved.”

Earlier, Mr Farron sent a message of support: “I have known Chris since he led the Liberal Democrats to a stunning victory to win control of Wear Valley council in County Durham, defeating Labour in one of their traditional northern strongholds.

“ Chris was a dynamic and highly effective council leader who could and would do the same for the Tees Valley if elected as their new ‘Metro Mayor’ on May 4th.”

Chairman of the meeting, former LibDem Redcar MP Ian Swales, said: “Chris will be a terrific mayor. He has all the experience necessary, as well as the drive and determination to make this new role a success”.