Meet the businessman trying to beat 'career politicians' to become Lincolnshire mayor

“I was watching one of his rallies and he said we need more businesspeople in charge – he’s actually right there!” the Labour candidate recalled.

The Greater Lincolnshire mayoral election is the first time the Grimsby-born entrepreneur has ever stood for office.

He’s spent most of his career building businesses in the tech sector, chairing his beloved Grimsby Town Football Club, and launching a charity to brighten the future for his hometown.

His companies have won multiple Sunday Times’ Best Place to Work awards – and he was once crowned Leader of the Year.

So why enter politics at all?

“I have been Labour my whole life – I was born on a council estate to a single parent, so I’m a product of the welfare state,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

“People asked me to become an MP before, but it never appealed to me because you can’t always speak your mind.

“This role is different. I don’t need a job, I’m doing this because I care about the place.

“And the alternatives aren’t palatable – they’re all career politicians who are running because they do need the job.

“The mayor should be someone with credentials to run a large organisation. My last company had 1,000 employees and sold for £400m.

“I’ve got the optimism, resilience, energy and vision that comes from business.”

He’s taken this philosophy of doing things differently to his campaigning.

Inspired by books on road trips across America, he is cycling over 300 miles across the county to meet residents face-to-face.

He arrives at The Hub, in Sleaford, on day five of the trip clad in fluorescent biking gear for a teacake and a chat with voters.

Whoever becomes the first Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire will have a say in the lives of 1.2m residents, with a budget of £24m per year.

Jason sees this as a larger example of the rejuvenation he’s been trying to achieve in Grimsby for the last decade.

“After Brexit, I felt quite saddened and puzzled how the country was making these decisions I didn’t understand,” he said.

“Places like Grimsby, Boston and Skegness all voted for it heavily, partly out of a sense that life was passing them by.

“I decided to be part of the solution, and try to reinvigorate the civic institutions and sense of community that had been lost.

“I helped buy the football club, set up the Our Future charity and raised money for the Youth Zone in Grimsby, which should be opening this summer.

“We need economic development first, building on the massive opportunities of renewable energy, hydrogen, AI and farming technology.

“We need a coherent vision to attract investment and tell our story. All the social justice things I want to do can be built on the back of that.”

He points to his involvement with Grimsby Town, which he chaired until his mayoral nomination, as another example of the pride that communities have lost.

“You need football, it’s part of your identity. I did get a load of stick the other day from a steelworker who supported Scunthorpe United, but it’s done with a smile!”

Labour has struggled to break out of small pockets in Lincolnshire over the last few decades, and recent developments over solar farms and farming taxes won’t make that job easier.

Jason said he had to think hard whether to take the nomination.

“I don’t agree with everything the government’s done, but I can be a critical friend to them,” he said.

“They knew when they approached me that I’d speak my mind and can’t be told what to do.

“If I’d become an Independent, it would be difficult to win and impossible to get anything done.

“Pragmatically, if I’m elected then Lincolnshire will be at the front of the queue as far as the government’s concerned, and that will mean more resources for the county.”

However, he’s quick to dismiss any comparisons with another successful businessman who jumped into politics later in life – US President Donald Trump.

“I think we’re very different people!” He laughed.

“Politics is about deal-making, but you can’t detach politics from morality like he’s done.

“I like to think I won that leadership award because I’m a decent person and have taken care of people who have worked for me.

“Business has given me real world, practical experience, but I like deals that help everyone – not beat them.”

The other candidates in the election who have declared so far are Rob Waltham (Conservative), Andrea Jenkyns (Reform) and Marianne Overton (Ind).