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 | Yorkshire Times A Voice of the Free Press |
Andrew Palmer
Group Editor
6:04 PM 9th May 2021
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Tracy Brabin West Yorkshire's First Mayor
Tracy Brabin
Tracy Brabin, who has been the Labour MP for Batley and Spen since 2016 becomes the first female northern metro mayor.
Ms Brabin secured victory over second-placed Matt Robinson (Conservative) by 310,923 votes to 209,137 votes, after the counting of both first and second preference votes.
However, her election will mean there will have to be a by-election.
{2}Beckie Hart, CBI Yorkshire & the Humber Director, said: “Congratulations to Tracy Brabin on her election as the first West Yorkshire Mayor.
“The new mayor is taking up office at a pivotal time as the economy looks to bounce back from the challenges of COVID, Brexit and climate change.
“It will take commitment and partnership between business and the mayor to turbocharge the region’s recovery. That means establishing a strong economic vision, while championing investment in sustainable infrastructure and the creation of a dynamic, skills-rich workforce.
“CBI members in Yorkshire and the Humber look forward to working closely with the new mayor to deliver on these regional growth priorities and establish a business environment fit for the future.”
“The new mayor is taking up office at a pivotal time as the economy looks to bounce back from the challenges of COVID, Brexit and climate change.
“It will take commitment and partnership between business and the mayor to turbocharge the region’s recovery. That means establishing a strong economic vision, while championing investment in sustainable infrastructure and the creation of a dynamic, skills-rich workforce.
“CBI members in Yorkshire and the Humber look forward to working closely with the new mayor to deliver on these regional growth priorities and establish a business environment fit for the future.”
The Mayor of West Yorkshire will have a similar role to the Mayors of Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and other regions in England that have secured devolution deals.
With special responsibility for areas such as transport, housing and finance, the Mayor will work alongside the leaders of the councils in Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield to help make the county an even better place to live.
The Yorkshire Party, although not winning, will be pleased coming third, its candidate Bob Buxton received 58,85 votes 9.71%.
The total number of first preference votes cast for each candidate was:
Tracy Brabin (Labour) – 261,170
Matt Robinson (Conservative) – 176,167
Bob Buxton (Yorkshire Party) – 58,851
Andrew Cooper (Green) – 55,833
Stewart Golton (Lib Dem) – 30,162
Waj Ali (Reform UK) – 14,943
Thérèse Hirst (English Democrats – “Putting England First!”) – 8,969
The total number of first preference votes cast for each candidate was:
Tracy Brabin (Labour) – 261,170
Matt Robinson (Conservative) – 176,167
Bob Buxton (Yorkshire Party) – 58,851
Andrew Cooper (Green) – 55,833
Stewart Golton (Lib Dem) – 30,162
Waj Ali (Reform UK) – 14,943
Thérèse Hirst (English Democrats – “Putting England First!”) – 8,969
The election will also change the way police and crime matters are overseen in West Yorkshire, with the Mayor taking on the functions of the Police and Crime Commissioner, supported by an appointed Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority & its devolution deal
The election of the Mayor has been made possible through a devolution deal, which was agreed by West Yorkshire’s five council leaders and the Government in March 2020 and became law in January 2021. The devolution deal will bring at least an additional £1.8 billion public investment into local control over the next 30 years, and is the biggest deal of its kind.
This means that decisions previously taken in London will now be taken in West Yorkshire, by people who know and understand the region and the places within it, and we now have more influence and ability to invest in the things that matter locally, such as better transport, skills, housing and regeneration.
The election of the Mayor has been made possible through a devolution deal, which was agreed by West Yorkshire’s five council leaders and the Government in March 2020 and became law in January 2021. The devolution deal will bring at least an additional £1.8 billion public investment into local control over the next 30 years, and is the biggest deal of its kind.
This means that decisions previously taken in London will now be taken in West Yorkshire, by people who know and understand the region and the places within it, and we now have more influence and ability to invest in the things that matter locally, such as better transport, skills, housing and regeneration.