MAYORS PLEDGE TO CREATE JOBS
London’s Sadiq Khan, Greater Manchester’s Andy Burnham and West Midlands’ Andy Street win and...
A POST-PANDEMIC recovery, led by a focus on creating jobs and tackling health inequalities, is a priority for the re-elected mayors of London, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester.
Sadiq Khan, Andy Street and Andy Burnham all won second mayoral terms in their respective cities, in last Thursday’s (6) elections, which also saw Labour fare badly against the Conservative party in councils across England.
Khan, who became the first Muslim to head a major Western capital after his victory in 2016, won by
55.2 per cent, beating his main Conservative rival Shaun Bailey, who secured 44.8 per cent of the vote. Although the result was widely predicted, Khan’s winning margin was smaller than his victory five years ago.
Speaking directly to Eastern Eye readers on Tuesday (11), Khan sought to assure them that he would “continue to stand up for you and do everything I can to tackle the inequalities in our society”.
“I am humbled by the trust that Londoners have placed in me to serve a second term as your mayor. I can promise all readers of Eastern Eye that I will work faithfully and tirelessly over the next three
years to stand up for London,” he said. “I am committed to creating a fairer, more equal, more prosperous city for all Londoners – irrespective of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability or background.”
He added: “Our city is strengthened by our diversity, our unity and our sense of common purpose, and I will do everything I can to build the bridges that bring us all closer together.”
In the north, Labour’s Burnham performed better at the ballot box as he was voted Greater Manchester mayor for a second term with 67.3 per cent of the vote.
His three priorities were “better jobs, better homes and better transport”, he said.
Burnham also promised to tackle health inequalities which had impacted ethnic minorities more during the pandemic.
Speaking to Eastern Eye during a press briefing on Tuesday, he said, “It is very much about good and secure work for everybody, where people have the cover of occupational sick pay.
“It’s about good housing that gives people the space they need. Those are the fundamental things that will address health inequalities in Greater Manchester, and they were the priorities I set out in my manifesto.”
Burnham revealed plans would soon be announced on the living wage in Greater Manchester, “to move towards a much more proactive approach to improving working conditions for our residents.”
In the West Midlands, Conservative candidate Street was re-elected after winning the second preference count. Street, formerly managing director of John Lewis, won with 314,669 votes, beating Labour’s Liam Byrne who came second with 267,626 votes.
“I want to thank everyone else who... shares our vision for and belief in the renewal of the West Midlands,” said Street.
“It’s that growing sense of unity and purpose that makes me certain we will succeed.”
Although he warned the region “faces serious challenges” as it recovers from the Covid crisis, Street said he was confident the West Midlands would “bounce back strongly”.
Labour performed better in the mayoral elections compared to the local council polls.
Tracy Brabin was elected as the inaugural mayor of West Yorkshire, making her the first female metro mayor in England. Her win has set in motion a by-election in Batley and Spen.
Speaking after her win, Brabin, who was elected MP for Batley and Spen after the murder of sitting MP Jo Cox in 2016, reflected upon her upbringing on a council estate during her winning speech.
“It is an honour I just can’t put into words to be standing here today as the first ever mayor of our wonderful, dynamic and creative West Yorkshire region,” Brabin said.
“Growing up on a council estate, I never imagined I’d be elected to represent my community in parliament, let alone be the first ever woman metro mayor in the country – our politics is better with women at the top table.”
In Liverpool, Labour’s Joanne Anderson made history after becoming the new mayor, the first black woman to lead a major UK city.
Anderson said: “Liverpool has always been a city of firsts – one that does things differently and that charters its own path. Today, we made history”.
Labour’s Marvin Rees was re-elected as mayor of Bristol, although he expressed concern over the lack of diversity in the council. The city’s only Pakistani councillor Afzal Shah lost his seat in Easton.
“We urgently need our critical leadership to genuinely reflect diversity in the city,” said Rees, who became the first black mayor of African descent in the UK after his initial election in 2016.