2021 Tees Valley mayoral election

The mayor serves as the directly elected leader of the Tees Valley Combined Authority and has powers considered lesser than those of other mayors such as Greater Manchester and the West of England. The mayor has power over an annual £15 million investment from the national government over a 30-year period, as well as control over adult skills training, social care and a consolidated transport budget- giving the ability to acquire bus services.{{cite web |title=Tees Valley |url=https://www.centreforcities.org/combined-authority/tees-valley/ |website=Centre for Cities |access-date=15 October 2019}} The mayor does not supersede or overrule the five boroughs within the Tees Valley city-region.{{cite web |title=What the Mayor Does |url=https://teesvalley-ca.gov.uk/mayor/what-the-mayor-does/ |website=Tees Valley Combined Authority |access-date=15 October 2019}}{{cite web |title=Directly elected mayors |url=https://www.local.gov.uk/topics/devolution/directly-elected-mayors |website=Local Government Association |access-date=15 October 2019 |language=en}}

At the previous and first election for the mayor of Tees Valley in 2017, the Conservative Party candidate Ben Houchen won with 51.2% of the vote in the second round, with a turnout of 21%.{{cite news |title=Mayor of the Tees Valley |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/c8nq32jw801t/mayor-of-the-tees-valley |access-date=15 October 2019 |work=BBC News}} This victory was seen as a surprise since Tees Valley has traditionally been seen as a Labour stronghold.{{cite news |title=Labour just lost a previously unthinkable mayoral election to the Tories |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/local-elections-conservative-labour-latest-result-tees-valley-a7720201.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170505183255/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/local-elections-conservative-labour-latest-result-tees-valley-a7720201.html |archive-date=2017-05-05 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |access-date=16 October 2019 |work=The Independent |date=5 May 2017 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Conservatives win Tees Valley mayor race |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-39821595 |access-date=16 October 2019 |work=BBC News |date=5 May 2017}} Some saw Houchen's victory as evidence that the Conservatives were going to do well in the following election,{{cite news |last1=Lynch |first1=Russell |title=Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen: 'Become an MP? I've got much more influence' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/02/02/tees-valley-mayor-ben-houchen-become-mp-got-much-influence/ |access-date=2 February 2020 |work=The Telegraph |date=2 February 2020}} others described it as a "warning shot" at Labour from their voter base.{{cite news |last1=Cain |first1=James |title=Elections for Tees Valley Mayor and Cleveland Police Commissioner this spring |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news_all/18130573.elections-tees-valley-mayor-cleveland-police-commissioner-spring/ |access-date=13 February 2020 |work=The Northern Echo |publisher=Newsquest |language=en}}

The urban think-tank Centre for Cities looked at the results of local elections in Tees Valley for 2018 and 2019 to make a prediction of the result and found Labour had suffered considerable losses, giving the Conservatives an advantage.{{cite news |last1=Jeffrey |first1=Simon |last2=Bell |first2=Owen |title=What do the local elections tell us about the upcoming metro mayor elections? |url=https://www.centreforcities.org/blog/what-do-the-local-elections-in-2019-tell-us-about-the-2020-and-2021-metro-mayor-elections/ |access-date=13 August 2019 |publisher=Centre for Cities |date=10 October 2019}} Following the 2019 general election, the Centre for Cities also assessed the Tees Valley constituencies results and found the Conservatives polled 44% across all Tees Valley constituencies, whilst Labour polled 41%.{{cite web |last1=Jeffery |first1=Simon |title=2020 vision — What does Thursday's vote mean for May's Metro Mayor elections |url=https://www.centreforcities.org/blog/2020-vision-what-does-thursdays-vote-mean-for-mays-metro-mayor-elections/ |website=Centre for Cities |access-date=18 December 2019 |date=17 December 2019}}

It was announced in March 2020 that the mayoral election was delayed to May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.{{cite news |last1=Metcalfe |first1=Alex |title=Coronavirus sees Teesside mayoral and police chief elections delayed |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/coronavirus-sees-teessides-mayoral-police-17921334 |access-date=11 August 2020 |work=TeessideLive |agency=Reach plc |date=13 March 2020}}

The election used a supplementary vote system, in which voters express a first and a second preference for candidates.

• If a candidate receives more than 50% of the first preference vote, that candidate wins.
• If no candidate receives more than 50% of first preference votes, the top two candidates proceed to a second round and all other candidates are eliminated.
• The first preference votes for the remaining two candidates stand in the final count.
• Voters' ballots whose first and second preference candidates are eliminated are discarded.
• Voters whose first preference candidates have been eliminated and whose second preference candidate is one of the top two have their second preference votes added to that candidate's count.

This means that the winning candidate has the support of a majority of voters who expressed a preference among the top two.{{cite news|last1=Elledge|first1=Jonnk|url=https://londonist.com/2012/05/london-elections-how-the-voting-system-works |title=London Elections: How The Voting System Works |publisher=The Londonist |date=2 May 2012 |access-date=21 August 2015}}

All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in Tees Valley aged 18 or over on 7 May 2020 were entitled to vote in the mayoral election. Those who are temporarily away from Tees Valley (for example, away working, on holiday, in student accommodation or in hospital) were also entitled to vote in the mayoral election. The deadline to register to vote in the election will be announced nearer the election.{{cite news |title=What is the Supplementary Vote? {{!}} Nudge Factory |url=http://www.nudgefactory.co.uk/blog/what-is-the-supplementary-vote/ |access-date=16 October 2019 |work=Nudge Factory |language=en}}

Ben Houchen, the incumbent mayor, launched his re-election campaign on 6 January 2020.{{cite news |author=Staff Reporter |title=Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen launches campaign for re-election |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/18138779.tees-valley-mayor-ben-houchen-launches-campaign-re-election/ |access-date=6 January 2020 |publisher=The Northern Echo |date=6 January 2020}}

Jessie Joe Jacobs was announced as the Labour Party candidate for the city-region. Jacobs is the founder of the charity A Way Out in Stockton{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Mike |title=Charity leader wants to be Labour's opponent for Mayor Ben Houchen |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/charity-leader-jessie-running-labour-16623054 |access-date=10 October 2019 |work=TeessideLive |date=21 July 2019}}{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Mike |title=How Jessie Joe Jacobs became political after meeting sex worker, 15 |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/big-interview-how-jessie-joe-17192568 |access-date=11 August 2020 |work=TeessideLive |publisher=Reach plc |date=10 November 2019}} and created a media project that taught ordinary people skills to report news called “We Are Our Media”, which created a citizen newspaper called the Eclipse.{{cite news |last1=Pidd |first1=Helen |title=Labour selects Liam Byrne as West Midlands mayoral candidate |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/06/labour-selects-liam-byrne-as-mayoral-candidate-for-west-midlands |access-date=7 February 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=6 February 2020}} Jacobs received endorsement from all seven local parties in the area, five trade unions and the Co-operative party.

Dan Smith, an engineer and staffer for Paul Williams, Labour's former MP for Stockton South, also applied; however, he was not shortlisted.{{cite web |last1=Rodgers |first1=Sienna |title=Jessie Joe Jacobs selected as Labour's Tees Valley mayor candidate |url=https://labourlist.org/2019/10/jessie-joe-jacobs-selected-as-labours-tees-valley-mayoral-candidate/ |website=Labour List |access-date=10 October 2019 |date=9 October 2019}}{{cite news |last1=Cain |first1=James |title=Details on the two elections being held on Teesside in 2020 |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/sick-elections-bad-luck-theres-17500912 |work=Teesside live |publisher=Reach plc |date=2 January 2020}}

The Liberal Democrats decided not to stand a candidate in the 2021 election,{{cite web|url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/liberal-democrats-explain-lack-involvement-20219128|title=Liberal Democrats explain lack of involvement in Tees Valley mayoral election|first=Stuart|last=Arnold|website=Teesside Live|date=20 March 2021|access-date=1 April 2021}} despite declaring an intention to do so prior to the election's postponement.

The incumbent mayor Ben Houchen launched his initial campaign for this election – prior to its delay – in January 2020, emphasising on investment in the steel industry in Tees Valley.{{cite news |title=Tees Valley Mayor launches re-election campaign vowing to bring back steelmaking to Teesside |url=https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2020-01-06/tees-valley-mayor-launches-re-election-campaign-vowing-to-bring-back-steelmaking-to-teesside/ |access-date=2 February 2020 |work=ITV News |date=6 January 2020 |language=en}} On 9 February it was revealed Houchen was in talks to purchase the former steelworks site in Redcar, which closed in 2015 when Sahaviriya Steel Industries's UK wing went out of business.{{cite news |last1=Pidd |first1=Helen |title=Tees Valley confronts Thailand over future of Redcar steelworks |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/feb/09/tees-valley-thailand-future-of-redcar-steelworks |access-date=10 February 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=9 February 2020}}

Labour's candidate Jessie Joe Jacobs launched her campaign at the Hartlepool College of Further Education. Her core pledges for this election are to tackle mental health across the city-region where suicide rates are high, to build a new vocation centre in all five boroughs, to start a high street innovation fund to help fill closed down retail spaces{{cite news |last1=Payne |first1=Mark |title=How Labour's Tees Valley Mayor candidate plans to save our high streets |url=https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/politics/how-labours-tees-valley-mayor-candidate-plans-save-our-high-streets-1741275 |access-date=5 March 2020 |work=Hartlepool Mail |date=15 February 2020 |language=en}} and to improve transport. She advocated expanding bus and rail services in the city-region over the next ten years. This includes restarting the Tees Valley Metro project, which was stopped in 2010.{{cite news |last1=Cain |first1=James |title=Labour candidate promises Tees Metro rail and bus system if elected |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/labour-candidate-promises-tees-metro-17849896 |access-date=5 March 2020 |work=Teesside live |date=2 March 2020}} Additionally, she is supportive of building a new bridge to improve transport between Hartlepool and South Teesside to help relieve pressure on the A19 and A66.{{cite news |last1=Metcalfe |first1=Alex |title=Trio of pledges as Jessie Joe Jacobs launches campaign to be mayor |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/trio-pledges-jessie-joe-jacobs-17612597 |access-date=2 February 2020 |work=Teesside live |date=22 January 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Scott |first1=Jim |title=Labour Mayor hopeful pledges better transport links and 'opportunities' |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/18178887.labours-jessie-joe-jacobs-makes-election-pledges-hartlepool/ |access-date=2 February 2020 |work=The Northern Echo |date=22 January 2020 |language=en}} Jacobs has planned to bid to host the Festival of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a government proposed festival with £125 million prepared for it, in 2022, branding it as the "Festival of Teesside".{{cite news |last1=Metcalfe |first1=Alex |title=Plans to draw a million visitors to new Teesside festival |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/18207273.plans-draw-million-visitors-new-teesside-festival/ |access-date=13 February 2020 |work=The Northern Echo |publisher=Newsquest |language=en}}

On 10 November 2019, Jacobs was critical of the price Houchen arranged for Teesside Airport, which Houchen's administration had taken into public ownership, saying that the previous owner received much more than she would have allowed, considering they wanted to get rid of it. Furthermore, on 11 February 2020, Jacobs was critical of Ben Houchen's lack of transparency over subsiding flight routes out of Teesside Airport rather than expanding bus routes around the city region.{{cite news |last1=Metcalfe |first1=Alex |title=Teesside Airport: Dublin, Belfast and London flights are being subsidised by taxpayers |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/18227920.dublin-belfast-london-flights-subsidised-local-authority/ |access-date=13 February 2020 |work=The Northern Echo |publisher=Newsquest |date=11 February 2020 |language=en}}

A hustings organised by Centre for Cities, the Institution of Civil Engineers and Teesside University was due to take place on 23 April 2020 but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In January 2021, internal party polling by the Labour Party found that Houchen had a strong lead over Labour, with The Guardian reporting that the poll showed Houchen winning outright with 66% of the vote.{{Cite web|date=2021-01-27|title=Labour failing to win back enough Tory voters, officials warn|url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jan/27/starmer-labour-failing-to-win-back-tory-voters-england-may-polls|access-date=2021-05-04|website=The Guardian|language=en}}

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The Conservative Party held the mayoralty overwhelmingly.

File:Tees Valley Mayoral Election 2021gradient.svg

{{Election box begin|title=2021 Tees Valley Combined Authority Mayor}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Conservative Party (UK)|candidate=Ben Houchen|votes=121,964|percentage=72.8|change={{increase}}33.3}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Labour and Co-operative|candidate=Jessie Joe Jacobs|votes=45,641|percentage=27.2|change={{decrease}}11.8}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title=2021 Tees Valley Combined Authority Mayor}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Conservative Party (UK)|candidate=Ben Houchen|votes=19,876|percentage=74.5|change={{increase}}32.6}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Labour and Co-operative|candidate=Jessie Joe Jacobs|votes=6,799|percentage=25.5|change={{decrease}}7.2}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title=2021 Tees Valley Combined Authority Mayor}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Conservative Party (UK)|candidate=Ben Houchen|votes=21,257|percentage=72.6|change={{increase}}45.8}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Labour and Co-operative|candidate=Jessie Joe Jacobs|votes=8,023|percentage=27.4|change={{decrease}}7.8}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title=2021 Tees Valley Combined Authority Mayor}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Conservative Party (UK)|candidate=Ben Houchen|votes=17,748|percentage=68.6|change={{increase}}33.7}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Labour and Co-operative|candidate=Jessie Joe Jacobs|votes=8,141|percentage=31.4|change={{decrease}}16.1}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title=2021 Tees Valley Combined Authority Mayor}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Conservative Party (UK)|candidate=Ben Houchen|votes=24,663|percentage=75.0|change={{increase}}39.6}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Labour and Co-operative|candidate=Jessie Joe Jacobs|votes=8,236|percentage=25.0|change={{decrease}}19.4}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin|title=2021 Tees Valley Combined Authority Mayor}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Conservative Party (UK)|candidate=Ben Houchen|votes=38,420|percentage=72.7|change={{increase}}25.0}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Labour and Co-operative|candidate=Jessie Joe Jacobs|votes=14,442|percentage=27.3|change={{decrease}}8.3}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Reflist}}

{{United Kingdom local elections, 2021}}

{{North Yorkshire elections}}

Tees Valley mayoral election

Category:Council elections in North Yorkshire

Category:Combined authority mayoral elections in England

Category:2020s in North Yorkshire