This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/may/05/former-john-lewis-boss-wins-west-midlands-mayoralty-andy-street
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Andy Street elected West Midlands mayor | Andy Street elected West Midlands mayor |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| The former John Lewis boss Andy Street has won the West Midlands mayoral race for the Conservatives, his victory in a Labour heartland the latest in a series of blows for Jeremy Corbyn’s party in local elections across the country. | The former John Lewis boss Andy Street has won the West Midlands mayoral race for the Conservatives, his victory in a Labour heartland the latest in a series of blows for Jeremy Corbyn’s party in local elections across the country. |
| Street, 53, beat Labour’s Siôn Simon, the former MP in Erdington, after he secured substantial majorities in Dudley and Solihull. Street won the incredibly close contest with 238,628 votes to Simon’s 234,862. | Street, 53, beat Labour’s Siôn Simon, the former MP in Erdington, after he secured substantial majorities in Dudley and Solihull. Street won the incredibly close contest with 238,628 votes to Simon’s 234,862. |
| In his victory speech, Street said his campaign had reached every area of the region and hinted at a new direction for Conservative politics. | In his victory speech, Street said his campaign had reached every area of the region and hinted at a new direction for Conservative politics. |
| He told the crowd at the Barclaycard Arena in central Birmingham: “This marks the rebirth of urban Conservatism. It’s about economic success but about shaping a region which works for everybody no matter how strong or weak you are.” He said his campaign could be a blueprint for future Conservative success. | He told the crowd at the Barclaycard Arena in central Birmingham: “This marks the rebirth of urban Conservatism. It’s about economic success but about shaping a region which works for everybody no matter how strong or weak you are.” He said his campaign could be a blueprint for future Conservative success. |
| Simon admitted he was “terribly disappointed” by the defeat and suggested that Street had only won because of excessive funds spent on the Conservative campaign, which was reported to have cost about £1m. | Simon admitted he was “terribly disappointed” by the defeat and suggested that Street had only won because of excessive funds spent on the Conservative campaign, which was reported to have cost about £1m. |
| Simon said: “Personally, a system whereby you can spend as much money as you like and don’t have to account for it at all up until six weeks before election day does need to be looked at. | Simon said: “Personally, a system whereby you can spend as much money as you like and don’t have to account for it at all up until six weeks before election day does need to be looked at. |
| “They admit to spending a million but who knows how much it really amounts to when you add it all up? We spent a small fraction of that and I said the turnout in Solihull, which is a Tory heartland and where the Tory millions have been poured into, was a third higher than the regional average and that accounts for the difference between the two parties.” | “They admit to spending a million but who knows how much it really amounts to when you add it all up? We spent a small fraction of that and I said the turnout in Solihull, which is a Tory heartland and where the Tory millions have been poured into, was a third higher than the regional average and that accounts for the difference between the two parties.” |
| Simon, who remains a Labour MEP, said Labour voters had lost confidence in the party in its traditional heartlands. The former Erdington MP- whose campaign message was to “take back control” of the West Midlands from London, said: “I won’t pretend that we didn’t have coming back from the doorstep in areas that we did win, in our heartlands, a message from Labour voters that their confidence is waning in our strength of our traditional Labour values. | Simon, who remains a Labour MEP, said Labour voters had lost confidence in the party in its traditional heartlands. The former Erdington MP- whose campaign message was to “take back control” of the West Midlands from London, said: “I won’t pretend that we didn’t have coming back from the doorstep in areas that we did win, in our heartlands, a message from Labour voters that their confidence is waning in our strength of our traditional Labour values. |
| “We should have been talking about transport, housing and taking back control of our region from London but we ended up talking about defence and immigration and Brexit and on those issues Labour voters in Labour areas were telling us, ‘We don’t feel confident that you’re strong enough on Labour values’.” | “We should have been talking about transport, housing and taking back control of our region from London but we ended up talking about defence and immigration and Brexit and on those issues Labour voters in Labour areas were telling us, ‘We don’t feel confident that you’re strong enough on Labour values’.” |
| Labour stalwart, Khalid Mahmood, also claimed that Street had won the mayoral race due to “throwing money” at the campaign. | Labour stalwart, Khalid Mahmood, also claimed that Street had won the mayoral race due to “throwing money” at the campaign. |
| Mahmood, who has been MP in the Perry Barr constituency since 2005, said: “The reason he won is because of money, it is as simple as that. We spent less than 5% of what the conservatives threw at this and they were able to bombard households with slick literature as a result. It obviously makes a difference when you have so much more resource.” | Mahmood, who has been MP in the Perry Barr constituency since 2005, said: “The reason he won is because of money, it is as simple as that. We spent less than 5% of what the conservatives threw at this and they were able to bombard households with slick literature as a result. It obviously makes a difference when you have so much more resource.” |
| Second preference votes were taken into account under the supplementary voting system after Street won the first round but neither candidate secured 50% . | Second preference votes were taken into account under the supplementary voting system after Street won the first round but neither candidate secured 50% . |
| Street gave up his £800,000-a-year career to take part in the race to become the mayor of the West Midlands combined authority. He is expected to be paid around £80,000 a year as mayor. | Street gave up his £800,000-a-year career to take part in the race to become the mayor of the West Midlands combined authority. He is expected to be paid around £80,000 a year as mayor. |
| The turnout was higher than expected at more than 26%, but it was the sixth worst turnout of the country’s eight mayoral elections. Cambridge and Peterborough was top with 33.6%. | The turnout was higher than expected at more than 26%, but it was the sixth worst turnout of the country’s eight mayoral elections. Cambridge and Peterborough was top with 33.6%. |
| Mayoral elections | Mayoral elections |
| Local elections | Local elections |
| Local government | Local government |
| Local politics | Local politics |
| Birmingham | Birmingham |
| Coventry | Coventry |
| news | news |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on Google+ | Share on Google+ |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |