Mayor of Cumbria candidate says 'Barrow Rising has taken too long'

Barrow Rising is a decade-long plan to turn Barrow into a "thriving, prosperous town" and is being steered by public-private partnership Team Barrow - which launched the strategy in 2025. Prime Minister Andy Burnham during a visit to BAE System's Barrow shipyard (Image: Newsquest)But Barrow Rising has also faced setbacks and challenges. Whilst Starkie says he backs the idea behind Barrow Rising, he claims it is not moving at a quick enough pace - something which has "frustrated many local people". "Instead of being focused solely on unlocking transformational growth, there is a growing perception that Barrow Rising is increasingly being used to compensate for shortcomings in day-to-day local government responsibilities. Starkie added: "Barrow Rising should not be viewed as the finished model for devolution in Cumbria.