The Conservative Andy Street romped home to remain mayor of the West Midlands, thrashing former minister Liam Byrne in a vote that the opposition had hopes of winning.
Conservative Andy Street comfortably secured four more years as mayor of the West Midlands, winning 54% of the vote after first and second preference votes were counted.
The former John Lewis managing director, whose re-election campaign was backed by comedian Jasper Carrott, became the inaugural mayor of the West Midlands when the post was created in 2017.
Mr Street said he was delighted to have received even stronger backing than his 50.4% vote share four years ago.
Although the contest went to a second preference count, Labour’s Liam Byrne was unable to make up a 55,309-vote deficit from the first round, trailing Mr Street’s total vote of 314,669 with 267,626 first and second preferences.
The Prime Minister has urged voters to back Andy Street’s in the “very close” West Midlands mayoral election as he joined the Conservative mayor for a canal bike ride.
Boris Johnson stopped to speak and take photos with a few members of the public as he said Mr Street would “boost skills and drive long term growth in jobs”.
But the former John Lewis boss faces competition from current Labour MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill Liam Byrne, who previously said his party’s losses in the region in 2019 were “really significant”.
The West Midlands is the largest region in the UK outside of London and is subsequently seen as a key battleground in the upcoming local and mayoral elections.
PM Boris Johnson riding along the canal THE Prime Minister took an early morning canal bike ride in Stourbridge with West Midlands Mayor Andy Street in a final pre-polling day push for votes. Boris Johnson stopped to speak and take photos with a few members of the public as he said Mr Street would boost skills and drive long term growth in jobs if re-elected after Thursday s election. The pair knocked on a few doors and handed leaflets out at a Kwik-Fit garage after a bike ride along the Stourbridge Canal this morning (Wednesday). He also stopped off at Stourbridge Football Club.
Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer hit West Midlands to urge voters to back Andy Street and Liam Byrne
The PM and Labour leader both urged West Midlands voters to back their parties respective candidates
15:39, 5 MAY 2021
Updated
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The Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer were both in the West Midlands today.