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
- David Skaith (Labour) 66,761
- Keane Duncan (Conservative) 51,967
- Felicity Cunliffe-Lister (Liberal Democrat) 30,867
- Kevin Foster (Green) 15,188
- Keith Tordoff (Independent) 13,250
- Paul Haslam (Independent) 12,370
Read more:
- LIVE: Labour’s David Skaith wins North Yorkshire mayoral election
- Bomb disposal called after WWII bullet found near Harrogate
