Labour's Kim McGuinness  has become the North East Mayor, it has been confirmed.

McGuinness, was today Friday (May 3) announced the winner at the Silkworth Sports Centre in Sunderland. 

She secured a majority of almost 60,000 to emerge victorious in the historic mayoral election, holding off a challenge from independent Jamie Driscoll.

Polling released last weekend had suggested that the Labour candidate and Mr Driscoll were neck and neck in the race to become the region’s new political figurehead, but she ultimately secured a comfortable margin of victory.

The 38-year-old, a former councillor in Newcastle and current Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner,  said the election marked a “really big moment for the North East as we take the first step to taking control of our own future”.

She pledged to turn the North East into the “real home of opportunity” with new jobs and green industries and major public transport overhaul, including bringing privatised bus services back under public control.

Mr Driscoll said the result showed there was “a huge appetite for pragmatic transformative policies that reduce inequality and treat people with respect”.

The former mayor was described as the “last Corbynista in power” during his tenure as North of Tyne’s representative, with Labour’s move to block him from the contest in June last year prompting a furious backlash.

A senior Labour source at the time linked the decision to the mayor sharing a panel with filmmaker Ken Loach, who was expelled from the party amid efforts to root out antisemitism from the party.

He continued in his role as mayor as an independent, and crowdfunded his campaign to stand as a candidate in the North East mayoral election.

New mayor Ms McGuiness has served as the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner since July 2019, after winning a by-election when Dame Vera Baird left the role to become the Government’s victims commissioner.

She will head the newly-formed North East Combined Authority and represent the region on the national stage. 

The new mayor will serve a population of around two million people across County Durham,  Newcastle, Gateshead, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland.

A multi-billion pound devolution deal was agreed with the Government and will see the region handed new funding and decision-making powers over areas like transport and housing.

The other candidates were Conservative Guy Renner-Thompson, Green Party’s Andrew Gray, Liberal Democrat Aidan King, and Reform UK’s Paul Donaghy. 

RESULT

North East Mayoral Election Paul Donaghy (REF) – 41,147

Jamie Driscoll (IND) – 126,652

Andrew Gray (G) – 17,631

Aidan King (LD) – 25,485

Kim McGuinness (LAB) – 185,051

Guy Renner-Thompson (CON) – 52,446

  Here are the full results of the North East mayoral election, broken down by area.

  NORTHUMBERLAND

Paul Donaghy (REF) – 4,437 Jamie Driscoll (IND) – 22,736 Andrew Gray (G) – 1,638 Aidan King (LD) –2,587 Kim McGuinness (LAB) – 27,992 Guy Renner-Thompson (CON) – 14,289   

NEWCASTLE

Paul Donaghy (REF) – 3,653 Jamie Driscoll (IND) – 25,018 Andrew Gray (G) – 3,671 Aidan King (LD) –6,778 Kim McGuinness (LAB) – 26,429 Guy Renner-Thompson (CON) – 5,012  

NORTH TYNESIDE Paul Donaghy (REF) – 3,667 Jamie Driscoll (IND) – 18,325 Andrew Gray (G) – 2,173 Aidan King (LD) – 1,795 Kim McGuinness (LAB) – 24,858 Guy Renner-Thompson (CON) – 7,874   

GATESHEAD

Paul Donaghy (REF) – 4,421 Jamie Driscoll (IND) – 12,438 Andrew Gray (G) – 2,013 Aidan King (LD) – 4.696 Kim McGuinness (LAB) – 21,994 Guy Renner-Thompson (CON) – 4,041

SOUTH TYNESIDE

Paul Donaghy (REF) – 3,727 Jamie Driscoll (IND) – 12,052 Andrew Gray (G) – 3,939 Aidan King (LD) –995 Kim McGuinness (LAB) – 13,225 Guy Renner-Thompson (CON) – 2,566   

SUNDERLAND

Paul Donaghy (REF) – 11,563 Jamie Driscoll (IND) – 11,009 Andrew Gray (G) – 1,801 Aidan King (LD) – 4,727 Kim McGuinness (LAB) – 27,469 Guy Renner-Thompson (CON) – 7,037  

DURHAM

Paul Donaghy (REF) – 9,679 Jamie Driscoll (IND) – 25,074 Andrew Gray (G) – 2,396 Aidan King (LD) –3,907 Kim McGuinness (LAB) – 43,084 Guy Renner-Thompson (CON) – 11,627   OVERALL Paul Donaghy (REF) – 41,147 (9.2%) Jamie Driscoll (IND) – 126,652 (28.2%) Andrew Gray (G) – 17,631 (3.9%) Aidan King (LD) – 25,485 (5.7%) Kim McGuinness (LAB) – 185,051 (41.3%) Guy Renner-Thompson (CON) – 52,446 (11.7%)

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