Tories hopeful their candidate can be first West Yorkshire mayor

A LABOUR metro mayor in West Yorkshire is “not a foregone conclusion” after the party lost a number of local seats to the Tories in the last General Election, according to the Conservative Party co-chairman.

The Conservatives have begun searching for their candidate at next May’s mayoral election, which is being held after the county agreed a £1.8bn deal handing over powers and resources from government.

Whoever is elected will join the likes of Greater Manchester’s Andy Burnham, Ben Houchen in the Tees Valley and Dan Jarvis in

South Yorkshire in holding new powers over housing, transport and skills.

Hugh Golbourne, a commercial lawyer and director of a clean energy investment fund, is the latest person to announce their plans to be Labour’s candidate.

Conservative co-chairman

Amanda Milling said her party’s search for “an exceptional candidate” was now underway.

Though all of West Yorkshire’s five local councils are Labourrun, the Conservatives took four seats in the county at the December General Election as Boris Johnson won an 80-seat majority.

Ms Milling said: “We have seen in the last few years the positive impact a Conservative mayor can do in places like Tees Valley and the West Midlands, and I believe a Conservative mayor for West Yorkshire can help to level up the lives of people living in the region.

“Many people may have already written the election off as a Labour victory, but as we can see from the four new Conservative constituencies in West Yorkshire, it is not a foregone conclusion and we will be fighting the best campaign we can to deliver a Conservative mayor for West Yorkshire.”