Brabin is party’s mayoral choice
TRACY BRABIN says Labour faces the “battle of our lives” to win next year’s West Yorkshire mayoral election from the Conservatives after the Batley & Spen MP was chosen as the party’s candidate.
Ms Brabin was chosen by Labour members to run in next May’s election for the newly created role, defeating Bradford Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe and lawyer Hugh Goulbourne. The former Coronation Street actor received 4,389 votes compared with Coun Hinchcliffe’s 3,475 and Mr Goulbourne’s 801, on a turnout of 43.5 per cent.
She will likely be the favourgion ite to win the mayoral election next May, despite the Conservatives’ success in West Yorkshire in December’s General Election. The Tories have yet to choose their candidate.
Mr Brabin, who says she will not follow the example of Dan Jarvis in the Sheffield City Reby combining her MP’s role with that of a metro mayor, said: “I’m Yorkshire through and through, so this is a huge honour. I’m incredibly proud to be Labour’s mayoral candidate because it means representing the people I grew up with and the communities I grew up in to try and make a real and practical difference to their day-today lives. We need a mayor who is going to get West Yorkshire our fair share when it comes to funding, jobs, transport and a recovery from the pandemic.
The role of metro mayor was created in West Yorkshire as a result of the devolution deal signed in March. Whoever is elected will get a host of powers over planning, adult education, transport and housing, which are currently held in Westminster, as well as access to new budgets for major projects.