On my way to Swindon for the GWR Stakeholder conference. I’m hoping to do some serious lobbying tomorrow! Top of my list are Plymouth station, Tavistock line, new station for Plympton, the Devon metro, servicing our night time economy and Dockyard travel to work support.

Once upon a time, a very rich man decided a mayor would magically transform a city. Along came a fairy godmother who foretold that the role would be scrapped yet he didn’t abandon his quest. The fairytale ending? No magic wand. The man is still rich but the city £410k poorer.

On the “the Plymouth referendum […] If Parliament agrees to the proposed measures being brought forward in primary legislation, the inaugural mayoral election would not take place and the council would continue to operate leader and cabinet governance”, (Jim McMahon MP MP)

“there will be no directly-elected mayor in Plymouth” (Martyn Oates) “there will be no Mayor” (Carl Eve) New city mayors are being scrapped but Plymouth’s referendum is still going ahead. Vote No City Mayor - Plymouth Knows Better to stop PCC spending more taxpayers’ money on a redundant mayor.

Plymouth postal voters: don’t forget to return your referendum ballot for No City Mayor - Plymouth Knows Better. Send a clear message to PCC to stop spending anymore taxpayers’ money preparing for a redundant mayor. Let’s get back to the pressing issues and exciting opportunities facing our city.

🌳 The Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest are launching their first Summer Holidays Forest Rising programme with the Poole Farm team — it’s FREE for people aged 16 to 28 who want to get involved in conservation and tree care! 🌱 Sign up now ➡️ ow.ly/p2jG50WiV9s

Stuart Road Primary will soon be 1 of 200 new school based nurseries. Having high quality and funded childcare within walking distance will make such a difference to Stoke families. As a dad and former teacher, it’s great to see Labour already doing so much for early years.

This time last year the new government scrapped the Tory onshore win ban. Now Ed Miliband has launched the first ever Onshore Wind Strategy to double generation and unlock 45,000 green jobs. A sensible step towards clean energy security for the windiest country in Europe!

Another weekend, another reminder of how lucky we are to live in Plymouth. Kenny & Aaron kindly opened their garden to raise funds for Stoke in Bloom. St Levan Summer Fun Day was in full swing. And I was blown away by Deller’s epic ‘Hello Sailor’ at newly transformed Tinside.

Children growing up in our country deserve the best start in life. Building on the legacy of Sure Start, we’re opening Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority. That’s the difference Labour makes. theguardian.com/society/2025/j…

Proud to announce Blue Sparks Community Grants with Tudor Evans in Cabinet today. Looking forward to seeing ideas from local organisations to enhance marine citizenship.

We're Charging Ahead to drive change in Plymouth's transport network. Our new electric buses have extra wheelchair bays and modern interiors for a more comfortable journey for all. #ChargingAhead #AccessibleTravel #ElectricBuses #Plymouth

Thanks Plymouth Live for featuring an article on the city’s new colourful roundabouts. We’ve been blown away by the recent feedback. Our Plymouth Labour council is already working on more planting projects like this that benefit both nature and people. plymouthherald.co.uk/news/news-opin…

We're making it cheaper and easier to own an electric vehicle. You can get up to £3,750 off a new EV, and we're rolling out charge points to more drivers every 30 mins. We're backing British business and putting more money in your pocket. 🇬🇧⚡🚗 metro.co.uk/2025/07/14/gra…

Some numbers before Plymouth’s referendum. Since 2000, there have been 63 refs on local authority mayors. Of those, only 22 voted yes. Of those, only 13 have kept DEMs. Last time Plymouth was asked, no won with 42811 votes vs 29559. I hope we vote No City Mayor - Plymouth Knows Better again tomorrow.

Plymouth: vote to retain leader and cabinet governance today! We voted against a city DEM in 2002. Whereas Torbay, Bristol and others have u-turned after trying it out, let’s show that Plymouth still knows better. Polling stations open from 7am to 10pm. Don’t forget photo ID.

It turns out Plymouth does know better, folks!

Dear Angus, You pushed for a city DEM despite knowing the role would be scrapped. Yesterday we voted No City Mayor - Plymouth Knows Better. The referendum cost PCC £410k. As a wealthy businessman, do you fancy paying the tab? Else it will be cut from public services. Thanks, Plymouth tax payers