The Labour Party candidate, David Skaith, has been elected to serve as the first ever mayor for York and North Yorkshire to champion the region and bring a host of benefits to hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses.
The result of the election was announced today (Friday, May 3) in Harrogate after voters had gone to the polls yesterday.
The vote will be a major moment for a long-awaited devolution deal for the region, and the mayor will oversee the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, which launched on February 1, to introduce benefits ranging from new and better-paid jobs and improved skills and training to more affordable housing.
A total of six candidates stood for election, and the results were:
- Cunliffe-Lister, Felicity Clare, Liberal Democrats – 30,867 votes.
- Duncan, Keane Charles, The Conservative Party – 51,967 votes.
- Foster, Kevin, The Green Party – 15,188 votes.
- Haslam, Paul, Independent – 12,370 votes.
- Skaith, David, The Labour and Co-operative Party – 66,761 votes.
- Tordoff, Keith Graham, Independent – 13,250 votes.
The turnout for the election was 29.89 per cent from the 640,012 people who are registered to vote in York and North Yorkshire.
The result was declared by North Yorkshire Council’s chief executive, Richard Flinton, who was the combined authority’s returning officer as well as the local returning officer for North Yorkshire for the election.
North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council ran the election in the two local authority areas.
City of York Council’s chief operating officer, Ian Floyd, was the local returning officer for the city.
The mayor, who will start in the role on Tuesday next week (May 7) and will serve a four-year term, will develop close links with the Government to secure more funding and decision-making powers as the devolution deal evolves.
The deal includes an investment fund totalling £540 million over a 30-year term, which provides flexibility to target money to specific schemes on a more local level.
The mayor will continue work that is already under way on projects including £12.7 million to deliver 700 new homes on brownfield sites and a further £10 million to support the transition to net zero, unlocking economic opportunity, empowering business growth and creating new and better paid jobs.
The mayor will also take on the responsibilities of the police, fire and crime commissioner for York and North Yorkshire. The commissioner is responsible for holding the chief constable as well as the chief fire officer to account and ensuring their services are efficient and effective.
The commissioner sets policing and crime priorities and oversees the police budget. The commissioner also supports community safety activities and provides victims of crime with a range of services, as well as setting priorities in the fire and rescue plan and overseeing the brigade’s budget.