2021 West Yorkshire mayoral election

The inaugural West Yorkshire mayoral election is expected to be held on Thursday 6 May 2021 to elect the mayor of West Yorkshire. It will take place on the same day as other local elections across the United Kingdom, including council elections for each of the five constituent council authorities and the police and crime commissioner of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

2021 West Yorkshire mayoral election
6 May 2021
 
Candidate Tracy Brabin Bob Buxton
Party Labour Yorkshire
 
Candidate Andrew Cooper Stewart Golton
Party Green Liberal Democrats
Metropolitan boroughs of West Yorkshire:

1. City of Leeds 2. City of Wakefield 3. Kirklees 4. Calderdale 5. City of Bradford

Incumbent mayor

Position established

The mayor will be elected by the supplementary vote (SV) system and will chair and lead the combined authority. The contest will be the first election for a governing body for the West Yorkshire region since the last West Yorkshire County Council election in 1981, before the county council's abolition in 1986. An initial three-year term will be granted for the inaugural mayor. The second mayoral election is planned to take place in 2024.[1][2]

Background

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) was first proposed in 2012 as part of the City Deal for the Leeds City Region. It was negotiated between the coalition government, Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership and the five West Yorkshire local government districts of Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield.[3][4] The combined authority was established on 1 April 2014, following a public consultation and statutory approval on 31 March 2014.[5][6] There was support from the five boroughs for a "One Yorkshire" proposal, which would have elected a mayor for the entire Yorkshire region. However it was rejected by the government in 2019.[7][8]

The Nexus building at the University of Leeds where the devolution deal was signed

The devolution deal was formally signed on 12 March 2020 in the Nexus building at the University of Leeds. After further negotiations, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced in the March 2020 UK budget that the government and the West Yorkshire authorities had agreed a proposed West Yorkshire devolution deal.[9][10][11]

The mayor's role will include handling of a £38 million a year investment from central government for 30 years.[12] The mayor will have control over regional transport (including creating a regional mass transit system), housing, land (with responsibility for creating a city region spatial plan) and adult skills.[2][13] By 2024 the role will absorb the responsibilities of the police and crime commissioner for West Yorkshire, similar to the mayor of London and the mayor of Greater Manchester.[1][2]

Prior to the election, the Labour Party has control of all five boroughs of the city-region. However, in the 2019 general election Labour lost four seats in the city region to the Conservatives.[14]

Candidates

Speculated

Speculated

Declined

Green Party

Andrew Cooper, leader of the Green Party on Kirklees Council was announced as the Green Party's mayoral candidate on 16 September 2020.[18][19] Hawarun Hussain, a former councillor on Bradford Council[20] was also confirmed as the party's candidate for deputy mayor. During the final round of selection process, Cooper received 58% of party members' votes, defeating Hussain in second place with 42% of the vote.[21] Lyn Morton, the 2019 parliamentary candidate for the party in Hemsworth was eliminated earlier in the selection process.[19]

Labour Party

Tracy Brabin, MP for Batley and Spen and a former actor and television writer, was selected to be the Labour candidate in a ballot of local members that concluded on 11 December 2020.[22][23]

The Labour Party opened candidate nominations in October 2020. The final result was announced in December. Self-nominations closed on 14 October. To progress to interview, candidates needed to be nominated by two Constituency Labour Parties or two affiliated groups by 8 November. A joint committee of members from the party's National Executive Committee and the Regional Executive Committee then select a shortlist to be voted on by local members.[24]

Three candidates were shortlisted for selection by the membership:[25] Tracy Brabin, MP for Batley and Spen,[17] Hugh Goulbourne, lawyer and business ambassador[26][27] and Susan Hinchcliffe, chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and leader of Bradford Council.[28] Paula Sherriff, former MP for Dewsbury, announced her candidacy however withdrew due to her breast cancer treatment.[29][30] Peter Judge, former Calderdale councillor, self-nominated but was not short-listed.[31]

Upon selection Tracy Brabin stood down as Shadow minister for cultural industries, and announced should she win the mayoral election she will stand down as a MP.[32][33][34] During the selection, Brabin wrote an article stating her core policies of "community wealth building, a green economy – re-industrialising our heartlands in a sustainable way – better transport, social and council housing."[35]- after selection she reiterated her core pledges as creating new jobs in a post-Covid world increasing social housing.[36]

Endorsements
Candidate Individuals Organisations
Tracy Brabin
Hugh Goulbourne
  • Sir John Harman, former Kirklees Council leader[37]
  • Baroness Osamor, Labour peer[37]
Susan Hinchcliffe

Results
Candidate Votes
Votes %
Tracy Brabin 4,389
50.7%
Susan Hinchcliffe 3,475
40.1%
Hugh Goulbourne 801
9.2%
Turnout 8,665 43.5%

Liberal Democrats

Stewart Golton, the leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Leeds City Council, was selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate.[44]

Declared

Speculated

References
  1. Lavigueur, Nick (14 November 2018). "Who could be the Mayor when West Yorkshire devolution happens?". LeedsLive. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  2. Beecham, Micheal (25 March 2020). "Devolution: What powers will the West Yorkshire mayor have?". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  3. "Proposal: A Leeds City Region Deal" (PDF). July 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  4. "Six biggest English cities get extra powers". Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  5. "Scheme for the Establishment of a Combined Authority for West Yorkshire" (PDF). Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  6. "The West Yorkshire Combined Authority Order 2014" (PDF). Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  7. "Government rejects 'One Yorkshire' devolution deal". bbc.co.uk. BBC News. 12 February 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  8. Bounds, Andy (15 January 2020). "Councils sign up to South Yorkshire devolution". Financial Times. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  9. "West Yorkshire £1.8bn devolution deal agreed". BBC News. 11 March 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  10. Westwood, Andy (12 March 2020). "Why Government plans to level up pose a challenge for metro mayor candidates". Centre for Cities. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  11. Parsons, Rob (13 March 2020). "West Yorkshire metro mayor can ask council tax payers to help fund key projects". Yorkshire Evening Post. JPI Media. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  12. Beecham, Richard (11 March 2020). "This is what the £1.8bn West Yorkshire devolution deal means for Leeds". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  13. Pidd, Helen (11 March 2020). "Sunak vows budget boost for regions – but not everyone is happy". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  14. Parsons, Rob. "Labour metro mayor in West Yorkshire 'not a foregone conclusion', says Conservative chairman Amanda Milling". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  15. Lavigueur, Nick (14 November 2018). "Who could be the Mayor when West Yorkshire devolution happens?". YorkshireLive. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  16. Scott, Geraldine (22 August 2020). "Who are the runners and riders to be West Yorkshire's first directly-elected mayor?". Pontefract and Castleford Express. JPI Media. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  17. Parsons, Rob. "Conservatives still looking for a candidate to be West Yorkshire's first metro mayor". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  18. Lavigueur, Nick (18 August 2020). "Councillor bids for West Yorkshire Mayor job and outlines action plan". YorkshireLive. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  19. Shand, Alistair (16 September 2020). "Green Party chooses candidate for West Yorkshire mayoral elections". Keighley News. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  20. Abbiss, Ben (17 August 2020). "History-making former councillor bids to be first West Yorkshire Mayor". YorkshireLive. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  21. Earnshaw, Tony (16 September 2020). "Councillor who described West Yorkshire Mayor plan as a "dictatorship" in running to be elected". YorkshireLive. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  22. "Tracy Brabin chosen as Labour mayor candidate for West Yorkshire". BBC News. 11 December 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  23. Rodgers, Sienna. "Tracy Brabin selected as Labour's West Yorkshire mayoral candidate". LabourList. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  24. Andrew Kersley. "Everything you need to know about Labour's West Yorkshire mayor selection race". LabourList. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  25. "These are Labour's three candidates to be the next West Yorkshire mayor". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  26. "New name in West Yorkshire Mayor race". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  27. "Meet Huddersfield lawyer and Labour man Hugh Goulbourne, who wants to be West Yorkshire's first ever elected mayor". www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  28. Alam, Yusef. "Bradford Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe to stand for West Yorkshire Mayor". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  29. Lavigueur, Nick (20 March 2020). "Former Dewsbury MP Paula Sherriff announces she has breast cancer". YorkshireLive. Reach plc. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  30. Sherriff, Paula (11 October 2020). "An update from me..." Twitter. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  31. Scott, Geraldine. "Former councillor enters race to become Labour's candidate for West Yorkshire mayoralty". Yorkshire Post.
  32. Pidd, Helen (14 December 2020). "Tracy Brabin running to become the 'Andy Burnham of West Yorkshire'". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  33. Rodgers, Sienna. "Tracy Brabin steps down from Labour frontbench to focus on mayoral bid". LabourList. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  34. "Tracy Brabin chosen as Labour mayor candidate for West Yorkshire". BBC News. 11 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  35. Brabin, Tracy (14 October 2020). "Tracy Brabin: Why I want to be Labour's candidate for West Yorkshire mayor". LabourList. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  36. Jagger, David (13 December 2020). "Tracy Brabin outlines her Mayoral vision for West Yorkshire". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  37. Rodgers, Sienna. "Voting opens in Labour's West Yorkshire mayoral selection race". LabourList. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  38. "Naz Shah backs fellow Labour MP Tracy Brabin for West Yorkshire mayor". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  39. "Otley's MP names his choice for West Yorkshire mayor". Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  40. Richmond, Tom. "Dr Who star Jodie Whittaker backs Tracy Brabin's West Yorkshire mayoral bid". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  41. "John Grogan backs Susan Hinchcliffe for West Yorkshire Mayor". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  42. "Bradford Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe is standing as a candidate for West Yorkshire metro mayor". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  43. "Union backs Council Leader's West Yorkshire mayor bid". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  44. "Lib Dems announce candidate for West Yorkshire mayor". BBC News. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  45. "Yorkshire Party Selects Leader Bob Buxton as Mayoral Candidate". Yorkshire Party. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  46. "Yorkshire Party reveals its candidate for West Yorkshire Mayor". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
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