Labour’s Mayoral wins in West and Bristol

LABOUR has dominated the mayoral elections contested in cities and metropolitan regions across England.

Labour’s winners include Sadiq Khan, who described being reelected for London as “the absolute honour of my life”, and pledged to “build a better and brighter future” for the city during his second term.

His battle with Conservative rival Shaun Bailey was much more closely fought than opinion polls suggested, and the pair faced an anxious wait in City Hall as second preferences were taken into account on Saturday night.

In another closely fought contest taking second votes into account, Dr Nik Johnson claimed Cambridgeshire and Peterborough from Conservative incumbent James Palmer.

In the West of England region, Dan Norris beat Conservative rival Samuel Williams, taking the post from previous Tory incumbent Tim Bowles with 59.5% of the vote.

Mr Norris, who celebrated his victory outside the SS Great Britain with his dog Angel, told Times Radio that he owed his triumph to leader Sir Keir Starmer and that he felt Labour is still the party of the working class.

Meanwhile, Labour’s Joanne Anderson made Liverpool City’s mayoral history by becoming its first black female mayor.

Labour incumbents Andy Burnham, Steve Rotheram, Marvin Rees, Norma Redfearn, Paul Dennett and Ros Jones retained their respective roles in Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Bristol, North Tyneside, Salford and Doncaster. Meanwhile, Conservative candidate Andy Street easily retained his position as mayor of the West Midlands.