Labour’s David Skaith pledges to ‘get basics right’ as mayor

Newly elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, has pledged to “get the basics right” as the first mayor of the county.

The Labour Party candidate won the inaugural mayoral election with 66,761 votes.

Speaking after the result, Mr Skaith, who is originally from Harrogate, said he felt the region had not done the basics, such as building affordable homes and improving transport.

He added that doing so would help to retain people to live and work in the area.

Mr Skaith said:

“We have an opportunity to bring York and North Yorkshire together. North Yorkshire is not an area that we normally do well in, but people want change.

“We have not been doing the basics. That will be my priority. We have a lot of people who are leaving the area.”

Mr Skaith pledged to work with fellow metro mayors in West Yorkshire, but also towards the west in Greater Manchester and Liverpool to help improve issues such as transport.

The election was a disappointing day for the Conservatives in North Yorkshire as they lost the election by 14,794 votes.

Tory candidate, Keane Duncan, came second with 51,967 votes and Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, Liberal Democrat, finished third with 30,867.

Meanwhile, Green Party candidate, Kevin Foster, won 15,188 votes and Keith Tordoff, independent, finished fifth with 13,250 votes.

Harrogate independent, Paul Haslam, won 12,370 votes.

The turnout for the York and North Yorkshire mayoral election was 30%.

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Tense day ends in clear victory for Labour’s Harrogate-born mayor

Labour’s David Skaith emerged as the clear winner today in the race to become York and North Yorkshire’s first directly elected mayor.

Mr Skaith beat Conservative rival Keane Duncan by almost 15,000 votes, in a result announced at Harrogate Convention Centre at about 2.30pm this afternoon.

The margin of victory was wider than many people expected at the count, where tension was high.

Conservative Ben Houchen’s mayoral victory in Tees Valley raised hopes that Mr Duncan could pull off a similar victory. But it was not to be.

Mr Duncan narrowly won the vote in North Yorkshire by 44,794 votes to Mr Skaith’s 41,122 but the Labour man’s strong York base saw him cruise home.

Liberal Democrat Felicity Cunliffe- Lister was a distant third, ahead of Green Kevin Foster,

Independents Keith Tordoff and Paul Haslam trailed home but both passed 10,000 votes.

Harrogate-born Mr Skaith, who runs a business in York, will now oversee the new York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, which has devolved powers from Westminster and an annual budget of about £18 million.

It means there are now Labour mayors in North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire.

You can relive our live blog from the convention centre here.

FINAL RESULT

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As it happened: Labour’s David Skaith wins North Yorkshire mayoral election

Labour’s David Skaith was elected mayor of York and North Yorkshire at Harrogate Convention Centre today.

Mr Skaith will be paid £81,300-a-year to lead the new York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, overseeing an annual budget of £18 million. He will have new devolved powers from Westminster and will champion the largest geographical region of any mayor.

Here’s a look back at today’s election count at Harrogate Convention Centre.

2.41pm: Keane Duncan magnanimous in defeat

The Conservative candidate was well beaten but he applauded winner David Skaith and is giving interviews now to a long list of journalists.

We have grabbed a word with him and all the other candidates. Look out for extensive reaction and analysis on the Stray Ferret over the next few days.

2.34pm: Final vote

2.29pm: Clear win for Labour

David Skaith is giving his acceptance speech. The final result was drowned out but he beat Conservative Keane Duncan by about 15,000 votes.

2.24pm: LABOUR’S DAVID SKAITH WINS!

2.20pm: Candidates reappear

Poker faces all round but someone just shook David Skaith’s hand. Has he won? We are awaiting the announcement.

2.08pm: Candidates being told results

Returning officer Richard Flinton announces provisional results being shared with candidates and election agents. They have disappeared into a room.

The result should follow very soon, unless one of the candidates is granted a recount.

This is tense — nobody seems to be making any confident predictions but most people are leaning towards Labour’s David Skaith.

2.05pm: Result expected imminently

A media person has just told us ‘don’t go for any long walks’ as a result is due very soon.

2pm: David Skaith returns

The elusive Labour candidate is back in the building, looking understandably pensive.

1.49pm: Result within the hour?

A big screen here at Harrogate Convention Centre shows the counts at the four other locations, and all appear to have finished.

That could mean a result is not far away. We are hearing it could be as soon as half an hour. But there is also the possibility of a recount if it is close.

 

1.35pm: Will high turnout help Tories?

There is speculation that the higher than expected turnout could suit the Conservatives.

There were fears among Tories that many of their voters would stay at home but the 30% turnout has buoyed hopes that a good proportion did register their votes yesterday.

A 30% turnout may not seem that high but by comparison, the final North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner election, won by Conservative Zoe Metcalfe in 2021, attracted a 14% turnout.

Remember, the commissioner’s role will be taken over by the new mayor.

1.29pm: Nervous moments as result looms

There’s not much happening now. But the result can ony happen as fast as the slowest count. We understand one of the two Scarborough counts has finished but there are also counts in Northallerton and York.

We managed a word with Keane Duncan, who seems cheerful and agredd to pose for a photo but declined to comment until afterwards.

There is still no great certainty here, other than that it’s a two-horse race between the Conservatives and Labour, whose candidate David Skaith has not been seen since his brief appearance earlier.

1.05pm: Conservative candidate Keane Duncan arrives

Conservative candidate Keane Duncan has arrived, which means all six candidates have been spotted at Harrogate Convention Centre. He’s smiling and chatting with local Conservatives but these must be nervous moments.

Still no sign of Andrew Jones or Tom Gordon.

12.44pm: Labour still saying ‘too close to call’

About the only people not predicting a Labour victory here today are the Labour Party.

We just had a quick word with the regional media team who said they were very wary of predictions, and were still waiting for updates from the other counts taking place in York, Scarborough and Northallerton.

David Skaith has still not returned since his brief appearance earlier. The only other candidate who does not appear to be in the room here is Conservative Keane Duncan.

12.29pm: Ben Houchen wins – good omen for Tories?

Conservative Ben Houchen has just been declared the winner of the Tees Valley mayoral election. Some were predicting his defeat — is this a good sign for the Tories a few miles south in North Yorkshire?

12.02pm: Lib Dem candidate thinks she will finish third

It appears to be a straight fight between the Conservatives and Labour, with most people predicting a Labour win — but nobody appears to be doing so with any great certainty.

Lib Dem candidate Felicity Cunliffe-Lister says it looks like she may finish third. She adds:

“I was a little bit late entering the race than I would have liked. It just took a long time for the selection process so I didn’t hit the ground running,”

Ms Cunliffe-Lister says she is the only candidate to have been to all 17 hustings, and says she has enjoyed her foray into politics since being elected as Lib Dem councillor, a role she continues to fulfil.

ps the man in the previous post was Don Mackenzie, the former highways chief on North Yorkshire County Council.

11.48am: Count in full swing

Ballots are being counted. Quick question – who is the man standing with his back to the camera? Clue — he was a major figure in local politics until the 2022 local elections.

11.42am: 37 media outlets expected

There is a lot of media interest in the election of the county’s first mayor. Officials say 37 media outlets have been accredited. The media area is starting to fill up.

11.38am: David Skaith arrives

Labour candidate David Skaith has arrived at Harrogate Convention Centre. We asked for a photo, something the other four candidates here so far have obliged us with, but he politely declined, saying he was popping out and would be back.

11.34am: Tories and Lib Dems on opposite tables.

Elections are tribal: the Lib Dems are on the left table; the Conservatives are on the right. There isn’t much interaction between the two.

No sign yet of Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, or Tom Gordon, the Lib Dem who wants to succeed him. We understand Mr Gordon’s mother is standing for election in West Yorkshire and he is expected later.

11.26am: Turnout is 30%

Returning officer Richard Flinton announces the figure.

11.20am: Result could be declared early afternoon

The verification process, which was due to end at noon, is over and the word is the result could be declared early, at about 2pm, but election counts operate in a parallel universe full of rumours and nothing is confirmed.

We are told, however, the turnout figure is expected shortly. There’s a rumour (that word again) the figure is 30% at the Northallerton count, which isn’t too shabby for a mayoral election.

11.06am: Green candidate predicts Labour win

Kevin Foster, the Green Party candidate, is at Harrogate Convention Centre with his daughter (pictured above). Four of the six candidates appear to be here now, the exceptions being Conservative Keane Duncan and Labour’s David Skaith.

Mr Foster says he thinks Labour have done better here than expected and will win overall, although he suspects it will be close, with a margin of between one and five percent.

As for himself, he says he hopes to get between 5% and 10% of the vote. Candidates need 5% to get their £5.000 deposit back. He says the Greens are a small party that only received 220 donations in North Yorkshire last year.

10.52am: Strong turnout of Lib Dems at convention centre

There is a large turnout of local Lib Dem activists and councillors, Candidate Felicity Cunliffe-Lister is sporting a rosette.

10.43am: Independent candidate predicts Labour win

Bilton councillor Paul Haslam, who left the Conservatives to stand as an independent in the mayoral contest, says he gets the sense the voting has been “tribal” and he feels David Skaith will win overall.

10.27am: Rumours begin

The count has yet to begin but supporters at the verification process are seeing crosses on ballots and making claims. So NOTHING IS CONFIRMED but the whisper is the Liberal Democrats are doing well at this count, the Greens are doing poorly and Keith Tordoff is the leading independent.

Remember, the Harrogate count includes votes cast in the Harrogate and Knaresborough, Selby and Ainsty and part of the new Wetherby and Easingwold constituencies, so about two-and-a-half constituencies.

10.16am: First candidate arrives

Independent Keith Tordoff, looking dapper and sounding chipper, is the first candidate to arrive. He says he’s attended every hustings he’s been invited to — about 17 — and achieved a broad coalition of support from diverse groups including the Yorkshire Party, local mosques and Reform UK.

He says:

“Win, lose or draw I will wake up happy tomorrow because I am healthy and I love life.”

Mr Tordoff says he feels the mayor should be independent because a Labour mayor would favour Labour-controlled City of York council and a Conservative mayor would favour Tory-controlled North Yorkshire Council.

10.10am: 120 counters in Harrogate

There are 120 counters here at Harrogate Convention Centre. Counts are also taking place at Northallerton and Scarborough but the result will be declared here,

There were 668 polling stations across York and North Yorkshire yesterday, which were manned by 2,000 volunteers. The size of the electorate is 485,105 in North Yorkshire and 154,105 in York. The turnout still remains unknown.

9.39am: Verification process underway

Richard Flinton

Returning officer Richard Flinton, the chief executive of North Yorkshire Council, is expected to declare the result mid-afternoon. He has just taken to a plinth to announce the verification process is underway. The actual count is due to start at noon.

9.15am: Will Tory pain extend to North Yorkshire?

It’s been a bad night for the Conservatives, with losses in the Blackpool South by-election and in council elections. Will the pain extend to the traditional Tory heartlands of North Yorkshire in today’s mayoral vote? We will provide update throughout the day from Harrogate Convention Centre, where the winner is expected to be announced this afternoon.

Political leaders say North Yorkshire mayor vote ‘too close to call’

Political leaders in North Yorkshire and York have said the region’s first mayoral election was “too close to call” as voters went to the polls.

Ahead of the result of the vote being declared at Harrogate Convention Centre at around lunchtime on Friday (May 3), bookmakers had Labour’s David Skaith as favourite to win the mayoralty, with Labrokes offering odds of 2/5 on him and 15/8 on Conservative Keane Duncan.

At the same time another national bookmaker, William Hill, also had Mr Skaith as the most likely winner, with odds of 4/9 on him and 7/4 for Mr Duncan.

Both bookmakers were offering 25/1 on Liberal Democrat Felicity Cunliffe Lister and 33/1 on Green Party candidate Kevin Foster.

Neither bookmaker were displaying odds for the Independent candidates Paul Haslam and  Keith Tordoff.

As voting got underway at 668 polling stations across York and North Yorkshire, local politicians agreed a Labour victory in the traditionally Tory-dominated area which features some of the safest Conservative constituencies in the country, would represent a remarkable result.

Some leading Labour Party figures in the area said with the fine weather and leading more of the 640,006 electorate turn out to vote they were quite confident in their candidate would beat Mr Duncan, albeit by a fairly narrow margin.

Speaking privately, senior Tories said the result was “too close to call”, despite the Labour needing a significant shift towards the party from the most recent local government elections.

Two years ago in North Yorkshire the Conservative share of the vote fell from 53.3 per cent in 2017 to 41.2 per cent, while Labour secured 17.3 per cent, Liberal and Liberal Democrats 17.1 per cent, Independents 13.4 per cent and the Green Party 9.8 per cent.

In York, the 2023 elections saw Labour gain 42.4 per cent of the vote, the Liberal Democrats 31.1 per cent, Conservatives 13.8 per cent and the Green Party 11.1 per cent.

Standing beside Harrogate’s cenotaph with placards painted by his wife Kath, Independent candidate Mr Haslam said he had already spent hours “reminding people to vote” by the town’s busy Prince of Wales and Empress roundabouts.

It is understood while the majority of postal votes are usually returned only about 50 per cent of the postal votes had been returned before the polls opened, with a significantly lower rate of return in North Yorkshire than York.

Mr Haslam said:

“It suggests to me that traditional Conservative voters are staying home as many of the postal voters are Tories.”

Elsewhere, staff at polling stations in the Thirsk and Northallerton area reported a “steady trickle” of residents turning out to vote.

After voting at Thirsk and Sowerby Town Hall, an elderly couple who asked not to be named said they had voted as they felt it their “duty to do so”, despite not fully understanding the role and responsibilities of the mayor.

They added:

“As far as we can tell the mayor will be some sort of figurehead to get more government funding for the area, so it’s got to be a good thing.”

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Bookies name favourite in North Yorkshire mayoral election

Labour’s David Skaith is leading the race to be named mayor of York and North Yorkshire, according to Oddschecker.

The betting company said in a press release today Mr Skaith had a 63% chance of victory in today’s poll.

Conservative Keane Duncan is second in the betting, with a 30% chance,

Liberal Democrat Felicity Cunliffe-Lister is a distant third at 4% and Green candidate Kevin Foster’s odds are put at 3%.

Neither of the independent candidates, Keith Tordoff and Paul Haslam, registered a percentage.

The calculations are based the amount of on money placed on candidates by bookmakers.

A spokesperson for the betting firm said

“Skaith has seen his odds improved by bookies from 8/11 to 4/9 over the past 24 hours, representing an increase in implied probability from 58% to 63%.

“His rival, Keane Duncan, has seen his position in the betting market weaken from 6/5 to 2/1.”

A total of 59% of total bets through Oddschecker have been for Mr Skaith.

Oddschecker’s odds

Oddschecker’s Leon Blackman said:

“David Skaith continues to gain momentum in the betting markets, as bookmakers further solidified his position as favourite on Thursday morning.

“Previously priced at 8/11, Skaith is now 4/9 to become the first mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

“Meanwhile, his Conservative rival, Keane Duncan, has drifted to odds of 2/1.”

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Mayoral candidates make final pitches to voters

Candidates in tomorrow’s York and North Yorkshire mayoral election have been out and about making their final attempts to woo voters.

Polling stations will open at 7am tomorrow (May 2) and close at 10pm.

Counting won’t start until Friday so whoever is elected to the £81,300 role is unlikely to be known until Friday afternoon.

The six contenders have been using a variety of methods to win votes as the campaign draws to a close — from TikTok videos to meeting people in the street.

Conservative candidate Keane Duncan posted on social media that his 100-day-campervan trip across the county was coming to an end. He published more photos of him meeting residents and pledged ‘bold, ambitious action for York and North Yorkshire’, adding:

“I’ve campaigned everywhere. Not just in the major settlements, but in the remotest outposts too.”

Keane Duncan

Labour’s David Skaith posted a photo of himself on the campaign trail with West Yorkshire’s Labour mayor Tracy Brabin. He said:

“We’ve been knocking on thousands of doors right across York and North Yorkshire and it’s very clear that people are desperate for change.”

David Skaith and supporters

Liberal Democrat Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, who has been in Knaresborough today, said on social media:

“Lots to talk about and lots of hope and optimism that this election will bring about the change that we need – voters choosing me for my skills and business experience, a hard working candidate with common sense who will get the very best for all of us.”

Pateley Bridge-based Independent Keith Tordoff has taken to TikTok as part of his campaign.

A few days ago he posted a video of him hitting the heavy bag in boxing gloves to Rocky music, before pausing to say:

“It’s time we knocked the Tories, Labour, the main parties, out of York and North Yorkshire.”

Bilton’s Paul Haslam stood in Harrogate town centre with recyclable home-made banners talking to people.

He told the Stray Ferret he had loved the chance to get out and meet people and, as an independent with strong business background, felt he was well placed to push forward ideas such as an integrated transport policy.

Paul Haslam

Green candidate Kevin Foster posted a video of himself by a river, saying:

“As your mayor I will fight for North Yorkshire to get our fair share from the government. People tell me they want change from the same old parties letting them down.”

The Stray Ferret will bring live election coverage of Friday’s count followed by reaction and analysis over the weekend.

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Editor’s Pick of the Week: Tim Stedman returns, a new mayor awaits and Ripon prepares for 1,300 homes

No corner of the Harrogate district has been immune to new housing in recent years but the sheer scale of the 1,300-home Clotherholme development will alter Ripon forever.

Planning approval was passed by a whisker last year. Since then, the government agencies behind the scheme have said little so this week’s planning update contained some key insights.

There are now just five days until North Yorkshire elects its first mayor. Confused? Read senior reporter Calvin Robinson’s article about the main manifesto differences and look for a recap this weekend of his interviews with all six candidates. We will provide live coverage at the count in Harrogate on Friday.

There are 241 days to Christmas, but Harrogate received one of the best possible festive presents this week with the news that Tim Stedman will return to the town for his 24th panto season. Tim is so loved he would have probably been elected mayor if he’d stood — or at least livened up the sometimes tedious hustings.

Contrary to appearance, Tim is well into his 50s and the slapstick tomfoolery of a lengthy panto, often twice a day, must be exhausting. We should treasure him while we can.

Sadly his long-term double act partner Howard Chadwick won’t be back for what is always a seasonal joy, whatever your age.

Pateley Bridge Cemetery. Picture: Bill Boaden.

Pateley Bridge Cemetery. Picture: Bill Boaden.

Finally, there can be few better places to rest for eternity than Pateley Bridge Cemetery. Look at that view. So plans to create hundreds of new plots this week will be welcomed by Nidderdale folk. The plans even cater for new natural burial sites.

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Stray Ferret chairs mayoral hustings event

The Stray Ferret chaired a hustings event this week as the race to become the county’s first directly elected mayor enters its final three weeks.

Liberal Democrat Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, Conservative Keane Duncan, the Green Party’s Kevin Foster and Labour’s David Skaith were quizzed in front of a live audience of business owners.

Tamsin O’Brien, the owner of the Stray Ferret, chaired the business-themed event, which was jointly organised by the Confederation of British Industry, the Federation of Small Businesses, West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and Make UK.

Each candidate outlined what they stood for and was quizzed by Ms O’Brien as well as audience members.

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister

Ms Cunliffe-Lister is a North Yorkshire councillor and former commercial property lawyer who now owns Swinton Park, near Masham

She said 20,000-acre Swinton Park had doubled in size to employ 150 people and and diversified to include activities such as camping and a cookery school.

Ms Cunliffe-Lister said:

“I am the only candidate with the leadership, the business experience and the skills that are essential for this role. I am a politician with a career — I am not a career politician.”

Keane Duncan

Former Daily Star journalist Mr Duncan, who is the executive member for highways at North Yorkshire Council, pledged a range of initiatives including free car parking for every town and city, support for dualling of the A64, £1 bus fares for under 21s, the region’s first mutual bank for businesses, and buying and restoring Scarborough’s Grand Hotel.

He said:

“I am standing in this election to shake things up, to do things in a different way, to break from the same old status quo politics that have held our region back for too long.”

Asked whether the mayor will be able to fund such schemes such as free parking, he said his plans for two hours or less of free parking currently costed the council £2.9 million and he would pledge that sum.

Kevin Foster

Mr Foster, the Green Party leader on North Yorkshire Council and a former army reservist, said not being a member of one of the large political parties meant he would be able to unite the different factions at Conservative-controlled North Yorkshire Council and Labour-run City of York Council.

He talked about the need for “a first class bidding system when we go for grants”, and creating “a better, cleaner, greener place for our businesses”. Mr Foster said:

“If one of the big parties get in it could be politics again as normal. i’ve never been whipped by my party, they would never tell me what to do, I’ve got freedom to make my own choices. I am focused on the task and have leadership skills.”

David Skaith

Harrogate-born Labour candidate David Skaith, who owns a shop and chairs York High Street Forum, said the first thing he would do as mayor would be to introduce a high street fund that would provide access to funding and support for businesses.

Mr Skaith said:

“Coming from having my own business, I don’t believe in having huge bold plans that are not realistic. I can’t buy into that and it’s not how business functions.

“We must build truly affordable homes for ownership and for rent, an integrated transport system with simpler harmonised ticketing system.”

The evening was a selective hustings event, run in accordance with electoral commission guidelines. This meant the Independent candidates, Keith Tordoff and Paul Haslam, were not eligible to take part.

Voters go the polls to elect the mayor on May 2.

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North Yorks mayor election: 600,000 poll cards being sent tomorrow

Poll cards are being sent to more than 600,000 voters from tomorrow (Wednesday, March 27) for the York and North Yorkshire mayor election.

The county will go to the polls on Thursday, May 2, to vote for the first elected mayor for York and North Yorkshire.

The mayor, who will be paid £81,300 a year, will oversee the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, which launched on February 1.

The devolution deal includes an investment fund totalling £540 million over 30 years.

The mayor will also take on the responsibilities of the police, fire and crime commissioner for York and North Yorkshire, who is responsible for holding the chief constable and chief fire officer to account.

The commissioner also sets policing and crime priorities and oversees the police budget.

North Yorkshire Council chief executive, Richard Flinton will be the combined authority’s returning officer for the election, as well as the local returning officer for North Yorkshire.

Richard Flinton

He urged people not to under-estimate how important the election is:

“This is about ensuring benefits for hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses in York and North Yorkshire are realised through devolution, as the government gives more decision-making powers to our region along with millions of pounds in additional funding.

“The mayor will be at the forefront of the decisions being made. This is an opportunity for everyone who is registered to vote to decide on who they want to represent them at what is a defining moment for our region.”

Photo ID required

The deadline for registering to vote is April 16. To vote by post, you must first be registered and apply by 5pm on Wednesday, April 17.

This election will be the first time many people will have to show photo ID when voting in person. Anyone without suitable ID can apply for a free voter authority certificate before 5pm on Wednesday, April 24.

Details of candidates will be outlined in a booklet that legally has to be sent to everyone who is registered to vote in York and North Yorkshire in April.

More information is available here.

The current candidates are:

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Explained: How will North Yorkshire’s mayor work?

The first mayor of York and North Yorkshire will be in charge of multi-million pounds of devolved money, have powers over transport and skills and be tasked with banging the drum for the county.

Six candidates from around North Yorkshire have put their names forward to campaign for the position.

But, despite an election being just six weeks away, enthusiasm for the mayor among the public appears low.

Part of this may be down to a lack of understanding over what a mayor does, how they make decisions and who will scrutinise them.

This week, the Stray Ferret spoke to James Farrar, director of economy and interim head of paid service at York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, to clear up some of those questions.

How will decisions be made?

Perhaps one of the confusing aspects of devolution is the difference between the combined authority and the mayor.

Mr Farrar explained that the authority is the legal entity which holds the money given by government.

The mayor will chair the authority, meaning he or she will be responsible for ensuring that decisions on public money are made properly through the combined authority board.

Mr Farrar explained:

“In simple terms, the mayor becomes the chair of the combined authority.

“The combined authority is the legal entity, which is able to hold and manage the money and make the investments.”

James Farrar.

James Farrar

The mayor will have their own priorities, which they will be responsible for. But any decision will be put before the combined authority board.

For example, should the mayor want to set up a mayoral development corporation — which is an organisation set up to regenerate a defined area — it would need to be put before the board for approval.

The board itself will be made up of leaders and deputy leaders from both Conservative-controlled North Yorkshire Council and Labour-controlled City of York Council.

Any decision would need to be made by simple majority, but the mayor has to be on the “winning side”.

This, Mr Farrar says, will prevent any one side from “ganging up” on each other.

He said:

“The two local authorities cannot gang up on the mayor and do something that the mayor does not want to do. The mayor has always got to be on the supportive side of the vote.

“But, if an investment is in North Yorkshire then they also need North Yorkshire to support it. If it is based in York, then they would need York to support it.

“That’s the backstop that we have got to make sure we have that collaborative approach.”

How will the mayor be scrutinised?

Aside from the combined authority board, there are other committees which scrutinise the mayor’s decision making.

As a legal requirement, the body has an overview and scrutiny committee made up of other councillors from York and North Yorkshire from all political parties.

The committee will act as checks and balances on the mayor and combined authority’s activities.

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The mayor, who will be paid an £81,300 a year allowance, could also have their own staff.

They may also appoint a political advisor and communications officer.

Staff from the Office of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner will also be transferred to support the mayor once they take on police and crime powers.

However, the mayor may wish to delegate those responsibilities to a deputy mayor.

Voters across North Yorkshire will go to the polls on May 2 to elect the first ever mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

A combined authority report published in January revealed that the election is set to cost taxpayers £2.2 million.

Voters have until midnight on April 16 to register to vote for the mayor.

Who is standing for mayor?

Pateley Bridge man and former police officer Keith Tordoff will stand as an independent.

The Green Party has chosen councillor and former soldier Kevin Foster as its candidate.

The Conservative Party has picked Malton councillor and ex-journalist Keane Duncan, who is currently in charge of transport at North Yorkshire Council.

Labour has chosen local business owner and chair of the York High Street Forum David Skaith.

Swinton Park owner Felicity Cunliffe-Lister will stand for the Liberal Democrats.

Harrogate resident and North Yorkshire councillor, Paul Haslam, will stand as an independent candidate after resigning from the Conservative Party.