Ben has led the West Yorkshire Combined Authority since 2016. He was instrumental in the agreement of the £1.8bn 2020 West Yorkshire Devolution Deal between central and local Government that led to the first West Yorkshire Mayoral elections in 2021. Most recently in 2026, Ben successfully led negotiations to secure nearly £2 billion in government funding as part of the first Integrated Settlement for the region. He has worked with the Mayor and Local Authority Leaders to bring the city region bus network into public control in West Yorkshire, working on developing a mass transit network for Leeds and Bradford, expanded the Authority’s role in housing and regeneration, and worked with Government on the new approach to devolution across England. Ben has a background in policy making, infrastructure and programme service delivery from the public and the private sectors, including time in Whitehall, the private sector (economic and transport consulting) and local Government.