Cumberland shadow authority leader Mark Fryer gives exclusive interview

Our reporter Bridget Dempsey sat down with the leader to find out more about him, as well as his ambitions for the new authority.

So Mark, if we just start with a bit about who you are?

I'm just like everybody else; I'm just an ordinary person who has got a family and who has something to say for himself every now and again - sometimes maybe too much - but I'm absolutely passionate about where I live, where I come from.

I'm a Workington man, a proper Workington man, not one made up by the press.

I got myself a job when I was 16 instead of going into further education which was a faux pas on my part. I fell out with my dad over it, he wanted me to go on and do university. But I ended up a joiner and I absolutely loved it. I made life-long friends.

Where do you think your politics come from?

I had more political arguments with my dad than anybody. He was of a different generation where they were fighting for different things then. Housing was a huge issue when I was younger - so debating with him really shaped my politics.

Also through the workplace, during the 80s, fighting for local jobs on the Sellafield construction sites.

Can you give a brief biography of your political career?

I stood as a paper candidate in 1995 in St Bridget's ward which is Brigham and I unexpectedly won it by 12 votes. Within 18 months I was the deputy leader of the council, it was just surreal.

I didn't think it was being run right (the council) and I had something to say about it and that was it. We won by 12 and that changed my life. I believe in fate so I wouldn't have it any other way, but I don't think I would push my kids into it because it's a different game now to what it was; it's quite a dirty game now with some of this social media stuff, where people are pretty vicious and they wouldn't say it your face.

So if anybody asked my opinion I think I would try and steer them away, which is sad really because everybody wants to change the world.

And then obviously you went on to be leader?

That was great - I had some really good people around me. Pat Mcckren - I always remember her, she had her finger right on the pulse. Carni, Jim Askew, Jim Musgrave, my dad... we had all these people around who had been there and done it.

I had a vision for the town and the area, it was about leisure provision, I have always been really into sport and I always said you can't create Olympic athletes with third world facilities and that was the reality of our area at the time I think, until we built the sports centre.

The town centre was also a big one, that was a real big thing for Workington.

What do you think your biggest political highs are?

I think just when you get elected, but do you know something, it's the simple things sometimes. You're just helping somebody, and the people know when you're helping them and you don't want any praise, any thanks, it's what you should do as a local councillor, and that's the high, that's the biggest high.

The reality is if somebody is stuck in their house and they can't get a repair done or their bins aren't sorted and you help, it's those simple things in life that give you the biggest buzz because you're helping the people who put the cross in the box for you.

CHAT: Bridget Dempsey and Mark Fryer sit down to chat.

And, obviously with every high time come lows. What would you say your biggest lows are? 

I would say sometimes not getting things done in a timely fashion, not necessarily getting beat in elections - that's just par for the course - but maybe not doing enough or being able to do more, not having good people around you to do things, or people dragging their feet.

I think it's just feeling you have maybe let people down or not being able to deliver on what we've promised.

Can you make it all work, bringing the three councils together as one Cumberland?

I got support to become leader from all areas within the new authority.

I'm known throughout Copeland for some of the stuff that I have done with the energy coast board, I've been on the LEPs, as well as the colleagues and some of the people I know in Carlisle - the likes of Colin Glover who I've known for along time.

I was at the mayor-making earlier this week when he became deputy mayor, and I was quite proud for him, because he was described as Mr Carlisle - and he is.

I consider him my friend and a confidant, both him and Les Tickner, who have worked long and hard for Carlisle.

Also people that have been elected in key positions - like Lisa Brown and Emma Williamson, they know what they want for their areas. My role is to pull it all together. As the leader I have a responsibilty for the whole of Cumberland. Cumberland is the key to it all as far as I'm concerned.

We've got the power of the city, the unbelievably strong supply chain out of Copeland from the nuclear industry which is the key to our success. People talk about green jobs - if we want them, they'll come out of the nuclear industry. Then you have got the stability in the middle with Allerdale.

We have a real chance to be progressive and strong and my role is to pull that all together and make sure we deliver for our people.

Obviously, we have seen the issues within the county and across the country with the cost-of-living crisis. How will Cumberland move forward with this?

We were picking this up on the doorstep quite a significant amount, and a lot of local issues, real fear around whether they could afford to put the heating on, and the foodbank stuff as well.

One of the things that I have spoken about has been writing public health right through the new authority's policies and strategies, so that we are impacting and pre-empting a lot of the issue. 

We can't fill the larders up of every person in the county but what we can do is look at ways and means. How do we devolve power down to the old area committees?

The cost-of-living crisis is a government crisis. I hear the Prime Minister saying we are doing everything we can. Well, people have got to judge whether that's true or not.

I personally don't think it is, they're talking about - for want of a better phrase, jam tomorrow - but the reality is that people want it today and there is no doubt that the windfall tax could help to alleviate in the short term some of the issues.

Back on to Cumberland, this is probably the biggest ever task you have taken on. Why do you think you're the person for the job, and do you think you're up to it?

It's a huge task. It's suprising the people that ring you up, text you and say 'Well done, you're the person for the job'. People that you come across over a long period of time.

I've had some fantastic texts, I've had some taking the mick off my mates - 'Who do you think you are?' all that type of stuff - which is dead funny. That's my type of humour.

It's the biggest job that I have done, but I'm really keen to get up and running. We are in quite a difficult position at the minute because we're just a shadow authority - but we do have some influence already.

But, why do I think I'm the person? It's because I've got the passion for it, I love the area, I think we live in the best best place in the world. I've got an energy for it, fairly pragmatic, don't take bull - if we ask people to do it and it doesn't get done then I want to know why. I surround myself with people who do things - I don't have people who don't.

[I] very rarely do 'no' - it's always varying degrees of 'yes'. Ultimately it all comes down to that first win by twelve votes. I didn't think I was like this, but I got the energy that day, and I still have it now.

We are now in the position where we have got three Conservative MPs across the Cumberland authority and a majority Labour council - how do you anticipate that will affect things in the authority?

Look, we all come from different political view points. Everybody does, even in parties we have got different political viewpoints, but I'm sure we all want the best for our communities and it's exciting that the new council of Cumberland can do that.

If you're not in it for that - to make your community better - then you need to get out and just go back to what you're wanting to do.

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