A £4 billion investment in the future of the East Midlands will be guided by a public vote.
Nottinghamshire, Nottingham, Derbyshire and Derby, have opened the door to a massive investment in transport, skills, housing and the environment after securing a deal to set up a combined county authority covering the region.
But what the Combined Authority does will be led by a mayor – and the public get to decide who that mayor is.
The first ever election for a Mayor of the East Midlands will take place on Thursday 2 May, and a campaign has just been launched to encourage people to head to the polls on voting day.
The £4 billion investment has been made possible after government agreed to give up some of its powers and transfer them to the mayor and combined authority through a landmark devolution deal agreed in 2022.
The move means that the East Midlands will be on an equal footing with areas like the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire, where elected mayors have secured similar large-scale investment pots.