Yesterday saw people all around the country heading to the polling station to cast their vote on who should represent them at a local level, with today marking the announcement of which councillors have prevailed, and which have failed.
Whether it be smaller councils, or the major mayoral authorities, many people feel that the results announced today – and over the coming days – could set the tone for the next General Election.
The day began with a lot of optimism from the Labour Party, as they looked to make significant ground against the Conservatives, whether that be extending their control over some councils, winning over others, or simply reducing the deficit that they may have previously had. This was also shown through the Blackpool South by-election result, which saw Labour candidate Chris Webb winning over the seat that was vacated when Conservative MP Scott Benton resigned.
It hasn’t been all bad for the Conservatives, however, as Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen held onto his position despite Labour achieving a 16.7% swing. Commenting on his re-election, Lord Houchen said:
“I am absolutely humbled by everybody that voted for me.
“To be re-elected for a third term in my home, in my community, is absolutely the greatest honour that anybody could ever give me.”
Further North from the Tees Valley, the race to become the first North East Mayor saw the incumbent North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll defeated by Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuiness. McGuinness is the Labour candidate for the position, whilst Driscoll stood as an independent following his resignation from the Labour Party.
Labour also claimed the victory in North Yorkshire, where the inaugural York and North Yorkshire Mayor was announced to be David Skaith, meaning that a Labour Mayor is now in control of the Prime Minister’s own parliamentary constituency.
Of the eleven mayors that were to be elected, only the three currently mentioned have been announced at the time of writing, with the result of the inaugural East Midlands Mayoral Election to come later this afternoon. The weekend will bring the announcement of the results in areas such as Liverpool, Manchester, the East Midlands and, of course, London.
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