BRIEFING PAPER Number CBP9237, 25 May 2021 By Elise Uberoi

mayoral elections in May 2021

Contents: Summary 1. Combined authority mayors (metro-mayors) 2. Parties 3. Candidates 4. Results 5. Turnout 6. Appendix

www.parliament.uk/commons-library | intranet.parliament.uk/commons-library | [email protected] | @commonslibrary 2 Combined authority mayoral elections in May 2021

Contents

Summary 3 1. Combined authority mayors (metro-mayors) 4 1.1 What are metro-mayors and what do they do? 4 1.2 Electoral process and timing 5 2. Parties 6 3. Candidates 11 3.1 Candidates by party and gender 11 4. Results 13 5. Turnout 15 6. Appendix 17 6.1 Key for turnout and local authority vote share maps 17 6.2 Detailed vote share maps 18

Contributing authors Carl Baker, maps

Cover page image copyright: Polling Station attributed to secretlondon123 licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

3 Commons Library Briefing, 25 May 2021

Summary

Labour candidates won five out of the seven combined authority (metro-)mayor elections in May 2021, with the Conservative candidates winning the remaining two. Labour mayors now govern combined authorities covering more than 8.5 million people and Conservative mayors govern areas covering more than 3.6 million people. The Green Party came third in all five elections they contested, ahead of the Liberal Democrats. In three elections, the winning candidate won more than 50% of the first preference votes. The other elections went to the second preference votes round. was elected mayor of West , the first woman to hold a metro-mayor position.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Greater Liverpool

80% Mayor: Nik Johnson 80% Mayor: 80% Mayor: Turnout: 36.4% Turnout: 34.2% Turnout: 29.5% 60% 60% 60%

40% 40% 40%

20% 20% 20%

0% 0% 0% LAB CON GRN LD Oth LAB CON GRN LD Oth LAB CON GRN LD Oth

Tees Valley West of England West Midlands 80% 80% 80% Mayor: Ben Houchen Mayor: Dan Norris Mayor: Andy Street 60% Turnout: 33.7% 60% Turnout: 36.1% 60% Turnout: 30.6%

40% 40% 40%

20% 20% 20%

0% 0% 0% LAB CON GRN LD Oth LAB CON GRN LD Oth LAB CON GRN LD Oth 80% Mayor: Tracy Brabin 60% Turnout: 35.8%

40%

20%

0% LAB CON GRN LD Oth

4 Combined authority mayoral elections in May 2021

1. Combined authority mayors (metro-mayors)

1.1 What are metro-mayors and what do they do? Metro-mayors have been established in nine areas via regulations made under the Cities and Local Government Act 2016. They originate from the ‘Greater Manchester Agreement’, published in 2014 and negotiated between local leaders in Greater Manchester and the then Chancellor, . The is not a metro- mayor. Regulations have made various legal powers available to metro-mayors, and to combined authorities, in accordance with a series of ‘devolution deals’ agreed between the Government and local areas. (Some elements of the devolution deals do not concern statutory functions, and therefore are not covered in regulations.) Metro-mayors are elected leaders and chairs of combined authorities. A combined authority is a separate legal entity covering two or more local authority areas. It has a membership structure, with each member local authority being entitled to one representative on the board. That person may or may not be the leader of the local authority. A combined authority is not required to have an elected mayor. Legislation permits metro-mayors to absorb the role of Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC). Metro-mayors who are PCCs may appoint a statutory deputy mayor for policing and crime. The mayor of Greater Manchester is also the PCC for Greater Manchester. The , to be elected for the first time in May 2021, will absorb the role of PCC for West Yorkshire. Six combined authorities held mayoral elections in May 2017, one in 2018 and one in 2019. Detailed results can be found in the Library briefing paper Local election results 2017, Local election results 2018 and Local election results 2019. After the postponement of the 2020 local elections due to coronavirus, there were elections for seven ‘metro-mayors’ in May 2021. There were no elections in North of Tyne and Sheffield City Region. The table below gives an overview of the budgets and powers of different city regions and their mayors. 5 Commons Library Briefing, 25 May 2021

Combined authority areas electing metro-mayors

30-year- Local Health investment industrial Education Housing & & social First fund strategy & skills planning Transport care Population elected Cambridgeshire and Peterborough £600m x x x x x 855,796 2017 Greater Manchester £900m x x x x x 2,835,686 2017 North of Tyne £600m x x x x 833,167 2019 £900m x x x x x 1,559,320 2017 Tees Valley £450m x x x x 675,944 2017 Sheffield City Region £900m x x x x 1,409,020 2018 West Midlands £1.1bn x x x x 2,928,592 2017 West of England £900m x x x x 941,752 2017 West Yorkshire £1.1bn x x x 2,332,469 2021

Source: House of Commons Library, Devolution to local government in England, Appendix A, Centre for Cities, Everything you need to know about metro mayors, 30 March 2021; NOMIS ONS population estimates, mid-2019 These powers are exercised in different ways and some regions are more extensively involved in some areas than others. More detail on these differences is available from Library Briefing Paper Devolution to local government in England and analysis by the Institute for Government.

1.2 Electoral process and timing Metro mayor elections are elected for three or four years. People who are registered to vote at local government elections are entitled to vote for the metro mayor that area. The Supplementary Vote system is used; the same system is used for the Mayor of London and Police and Crime Commissioners. There are two columns on a ballot paper. Voters can mark an X in the first column for their first-choice candidate and another X in the second column for their second choice. A candidate who receives more than 50% of the first preference votes on the first count is elected. If no candidate reaches 50% in the first round, the two candidates with the highest number of votes are retained. The ballot papers showing a first preference for eliminated candidates are checked for their second preference. Any second preference votes for the two remaining candidates are then added to the candidates' first preference votes. The candidate with the most votes then wins.

Conservative

• The Conservatives won two Summary: 2021 and changes 2017-2021 metro-mayoral positions out of First preference votes the seven they contested. Elections Population in % pts • The Conservatives won 33.2% won areas won Number % change of the first preference vote All areas 2 3,604,536 968,261 33.2% +2.5% across all voting areas, an increase of 2.5 percentage Vote shares and changes 2017-2021 points. % pts • The Conservatives performed Highest/lowest share of first preference votes change best in Tees Valley (72.8%), 1 Tees Valley 72.8% +33.3% where they increased their vote Highest 2 West Midlands 48.7% +6.8% share by 33 percentage points, 3 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough 38.0% 0.0% and worst in Greater Manchester and Liverpool City 1 West of England 28.6% +1.3% Region (19.6% each). Lowest 2 Greater Manchester 19.6% -3.1% 3 Liverpool City Region 19.6% -0.8%

Labour

• Labour won five out of the Summary: 2021 and changes 2017-2021 seven metro-mayoral positions First preference votes they contested. Elections Population in % pts • Labour won the greatest won areas won Number % change share of first preference votes, All areas 5 8,525,023 1,383,120 47.4% +1.4% 47.4%, an increase of 1.4 percentage points. Vote shares and changes • Labour performed best in % pts Greater Manchester (67.3%) Highest/lowest share of first preference votes change and worst in Tees Valley (27.2%). Although Labour 1 Greater Manchester 67.3% +3.9% Highest recorded its second worst score 2 Liverpool City Region 58.3% -1.0% in Cambridgeshire and 3 West Yorkshire 43.1% NA Peterborough, the party increased its share of the vote 1 West of England 33.4% +11.2% here by 14 percentage points. Lowest 2 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough 32.8% +14.2% 3 Tees Valley 27.2% -11.7% 7 Commons Library Briefing, 25 May 2021

Liberal Democrats

• The Liberal Democrats did Summary: 2021 and changes 2017-2021 not win any of the six metro- First preference votes mayoral positions they Elections Population in % pts contested. won areas won Number % change • The Liberal Democrats won All areas 0 0 212,498 7.3% -2.5% 7.3% of the first preference vote across all voting areas, a Vote shares and changes 2017-2021 decrease of 2.5 percentage % pts points. Highest/lowest share of first preference votes change • The Liberal Democrats 1 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough 26.7% +3.2% performed best in Highest 2 West of England 16.3% -3.9% Cambridgeshire and 3 Liverpool City Region 10.3% +3.5% Peterborough (26.7%) and worst in Greater Manchester 1 West Yorkshire 5.0% NA (3.2%). Lowest 2 West Midlands 3.6% -2.3% 3 Greater Manchester 3.2% -2.9%

Green

• The Greens did not win any of Summary: 2021 and changes 2017-2021 the five metro-mayoral First preference votes positions they contested. Elections Population in % pts • The Greens won 7.4% of the won areas won Number % change first preference vote across all All areas 0 0 217,221 7.4% +2.8% voting areas, an increase of 2.8 percentage points, placing Vote shares and changes them ahead of the Liberal Democrats. % pts • The Greens performed best in Highest/lowest share of first preference votes change West of England (21.7%) and 1 West of England 21.7% 10.5% worst in Greater Manchester Highest 2 Liverpool City Region 11.8% 6.9% (4.4%). 3 West Yorkshire 9.2% NA • The Greens outperformed the Liberal Democrats in all five 1 West Yorkshire 9.2% NA areas they contested. The party Lowest 2 West Midlands 5.8% 1.1% increased its share of the vote 3 Greater Manchester 4.4% 2.0% in all areas. 9 Commons Library Briefing, 25 May 2021

Independents and other parties

• Independents and candidates Summary: 2016 and changes 2012-2016 from smaller parties did not First preference votes win any of the three metro- Elections Population in % pts mayoral positions they won areas won Number % change contested. All areas 0 0 135,266 4.6% -4.2% • Independents and candidates from smaller parties won 4.6% Vote shares and changes of the first preference vote % pts across all voting areas, a Share of first preference votes change decrease of 4.2 percentage 1 West Yorkshire 13.7% NA points. 2 Greater Manchester 5.5% 0.1% • Independents and candidates 3 West Midlands 2.2% -4.5% from smaller parties performed best in West Yorkshire (13.7%), where the Yorkshire Party took 9.7% of the vote, and worst in the West Midlands (2.2%). 11 Commons Library Briefing, 25 May 2021

3. Candidates

A total of 34 candidates stood in the seven metro-mayor elections on 6 May 2021. Of the six mayors elected in 2017, five stood for re-election (three Conservative and two Labour). Across the seven combined authorities voting in 2021, the number of candidates in each area ranged between 2 and 9. The most common numbers of candidates was four (two areas).

3.1 Candidates by party and gender There were seven female candidates, the same number as in 2017. Because the total number of candidates decreased this year, the proportion of female candidates was 21%, compared with 18% in 2017. Labour and the Conservatives fielded the highest proportion of women candidates: two out of seven (29%). Among the main parties, the Liberal Democrats fielded the fewest women candidates, one out of six (17%). The Conservatives stood more women candidates this year than in 2017, while Labour stood the same number and the Liberal Democrats stood fewer. Metro-mayor election candidates by party and gender 2017 and 2021

05 May 2017 06 May 2021 % % Party Female Male female Female Male female Conservative 6 0.0% 2 5 28.6% Labour 2 4 25.0% 2 5 28.6% Liberal Democrat 2 4 28.6% 1 5 16.7% Green Party 1 4 20.0% 1 4 20.0% Independent 4 0.0% 3 0.0% Other 2 11 15.4% 1 5 16.7% of which: Communist 1 0.0% 2 0.0% 1 1 50.0% Get the Coppers off the Jury 1 0.0% The Yorkshire Party 1 0.0% 1 0.0% Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition 1 0.0% UKIP 1 5 12.5% Women's Equality Party 1 100.0% Reform UK 3 0.0% Total 9 38 18.4% 7 27 20.6%

Sources: House of Commons Library Briefing Paper 7975, Local elections 2017; Democracy Club candidate data (2021) 12 Combined authority mayoral elections in May 2021

Voters in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and the West of England could not vote for any female candidates, while there was only one female candidate in Liverpool (25% of candidates), Tees Valley (50%) and the West Midlands (20%). There were two female candidates in Greater Manchester (22%) and West Yorkshire (29%).

13 Commons Library Briefing, 25 May 2021

4. Results

Labour candidates won five out of the seven metro-mayor elections, with the Conservative candidates winning the remaining two. Labour mayors now govern combined authorities covering more than 8.5 million people; Conservative mayors govern areas covering more than 3.6 million people. The Green Party came third in all five elections they contested, ahead of the Liberal Democrats. In three elections, the winning candidate won more than 50% of the first preference votes. The other elections went to the second preference votes round. Tracy Brabin was elected mayor of West Yorkshire, the first woman to hold a metro-mayor position. Across all elections, 2.0% of ballots were spoilt. The proportion of spoilt ballots varied between 0.6% in Tees Valley and 3.5% in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. The results in the table below were collected from combined authority websites and through correspondence with electoral services teams at individual local councils.1

1 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Tees Valley, West Midlands, West of England, West Yorkshire 14 Combined authority mayoral elections in May 2021

Results of Metropolitan Mayor elections, 6 May 2021

First preference Second preference Total vote Number % Number % Number %

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough LAB win Nik Johnson LAB 76,106 32.8% 37,888 72.7% 113,994 51.3% James Palmer CON 93,942 40.5% 14,253 27.3% 108,195 48.7% Aidan Van De Weyer LD 61,885 26.7% Total valid 231,933 Spoilt ballots (1st pref) 8,364

Electorate 637,942 Turnout 36.4%

Greater Manchester LAB hold Andy Burnham LAB 473,024 67.3% A candidate received more than 50% Laura Evans CON 137,753 19.6% of the valid first preference votes and Melanie Horrocks GRN 30,699 4.4% was therefore elected without second Simon Lepori LD 22,373 3.2% preference votes being counted. Other candidates Oth 38,935 5.5% Total 702,784 Spoilt ballots (1st pref) 11,743

Electorate 2,057,643 Turnout 34.2%

Liverpool City Region LAB hold Steve Rotheram LAB 198,736 58.3% A candidate received more than 50% Jade Marsden CON 66,702 19.6% of the valid first preference votes and Gary Cargill GRN 40,211 11.8% was therefore elected without second David Newman LD 35,049 10.3% preference votes being counted. Total 340,698 Spoilt ballots (1st pref) 9,765

Electorate 1,154,755 Turnout 29.5%

Tees Valley CON hold Ben Houchen CON 121,964 72.8% A candidate received more than 50% Jessie Jacobs LAB 45,641 27.2% of the valid first preference votes and was therefore elected without second preference votes being counted. Total 167,605 Spoilt ballots (1st pref) 1,056

Electorate 496,853 Turnout 33.7%

West Midlands CON hold Andy Street CON 299,318 48.7% 15,351 39.4% 314,669 54.0% Liam Byrne LAB 244,009 39.7% 23,617 60.6% 267,626 46.0% Stephen Caudwell GRN 35,559 5.8% Jennifer Wilkinson LD 21,836 3.6% Peter Durnell RFM 13,568 2.2% Total 614,290 Spoilt ballots (1st pref) 11,890

Electorate 2,010,144 Turnout 30.6%

West of England LAB win Dan Norris LAB 84,434 33.4% 41,048 76.0% 125,482 59.5% Samuel Williams CON 72,415 28.6% 12,974 24.0% 85,389 40.5% Jerome Thomas GRN 54,919 21.7% Stephen Williams LD 41,193 16.3% Total 252,961 Spoilt ballots (1st pref) 3,660

Electorate 700,990 Turnout 36.1%

West Yorkshire LAB win Tracy Brabin LAB 261,170 43.1% 49,753 60.1% 310,923 59.8% Matt Robinson CON 176,167 29.1% 32,970 39.9% 209,137 40.2% Andrew Cooper GRN 55,833 9.2% Stewart Golton LD 30,162 5.0% Other candidates Oth 82763 13.7% Total 606,095 Spoilt ballots (1st pref) 11,687

Electorate 1,691,429 Turnout 35.8%

15 Commons Library Briefing, 25 May 2021

5. Turnout

Turnout ranged between 29.5% in Liverpool City Region to 36.4% in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. This was higher than in 2017, when the lowest turnout recorded was 21.0% in Tees Valley (now 33.7%) and the highest turnout was 32.9% in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. These figures may differ from turnout rates reported elsewhere: we calculate turnout as valid votes as a proportion of the electorate, while some organisations report turnout as valid votes plus rejected or spoilt ballots as a proportion of the electorate. The maps below show turnout in each voting area in the combined authority areas electing mayors. A key for the individual voting areas is included in the appendix, followed by maps showing vote share in individual areas.

17 Commons Library Briefing, 25 May 2021

6. Appendix 6.1 Key for turnout and local authority vote share maps

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