Former Hull councillor introduced to House of Lords
Dave McCobb's made a life peer
Former Hull City Councillor Dave McCobb has been officially introduced to the House of Lords, becoming Lord McCobb. He will now sit as the Liberal Democrats’ first ever Hull-based parliamentarian.
The politician’s official and formal title will be Lord McCobb of Kingston upon Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire. In his first act as a Liberal Democrat peer last week, Lord McCobb tabled a parliamentary written question to the government demanding they make good on the longstanding promise to electrify the railway line between Hull and Selby.
Hull was not included in the £45bn Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) scheme announced in January, which will see lines electrified between Leeds, York and Sheffield. Lord McCobb said this would mean Hull ‘being left behind’ and risked stalling East Yorkshire’s economic growth.
“My first act in Parliament is to demand the government make good on the longstanding promise of rail electrification,” he said.
“Hull and East Yorkshire has been left behind and held back for so many years. The promise of rail electrification cannot just disappear – they made a promise in 2024, and they must keep it.”
Standing up for the region
Lord McCobb said it would be his priority to always stand up for residents of Hull and East Yorkshire and he is eager to be a campaigning voice for the region. “It’s not fair for Hull or East Yorkshire residents, and I’ll make it my mission to stand up for local people while calling on the Government to give our part of the world its fair share of investment,” he added.
“Hull and East Yorkshire is a special part of the world to me. I was born here, brought up here and now live here with my family. I am excited to get to work, campaigning for more investment and recognition for this great part of the world.”
Earlier this month news of a £1billion project to build the UK’s first battery-electric train fleet for long distance mainline services was announced. The government’s Department for Transport (DfT) will run the state-of-the-art trains on TransPennine routes that run between northern towns and cities, including Hull.
Hull and East Yorkshire’s Reform UK Mayor Luke Campbell believes the battery-powered trains are a “better option” than rail electrification and explained: “With the new technology that’s coming out, I don’t think we need to press for 70 miles of electrification if these new battery-powered trains and the technology that comes with it can do the same job.”
Lord McCobb was born in Beverley, brought up in Haltemprice, and has lived in Hull for the past 25 years. He has dedicated a quarter of a century to serving residents of the city as a local Liberal Democrat councillor for the Beverley Ward from 2002 until 2018 and then the Beverley and Newland ward until this year.
The politician has delivered several successful grassroots campaigns in Hull. Lord McCobb saved a local Post Office, helped establish and then supported several community facilities, and secured the creation of two new parks in the HU6 community.