Kim McGuinness
{{Short description|British politician (born 1985)}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = Kim McGuinness at the Convention of the North (cropped).jpg
| caption = McGuinness in 2025
| honorific-prefix = Mayor
| name = Kim McGuinness
| office = Mayor of the North East
| term_start = 7 May 2024
| predecessor = Jamie Driscoll
(as Mayor of the North of Tyne)
Tracey Dixon
(as Chair of the North East Combined Authority)
| term_end =
| successor =
| office1 = Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria
| term_start1 = 19 July 2019
| predecessor1 = Vera Baird
| term_end1 = 8 May 2024
| successor1 = Susan Dungworth
| office2 = Member of Newcastle City Council
for Lemington
| term_start2 = 7 May 2015
| term_end2 = September 2019
| successor2 = Jason Smith
| birth_name = Cara Kim McGuinness
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1985|5|29}}
| birth_place = Newcastle upon Tyne, England
| party = Labour Co-op
| alma_mater = Newcastle University (BA)
| website = {{Official website|kimmcguinness.org}}
| deputy = Martin Gannon
}}
Kim McGuinness{{Cite web|url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/BqoT9f1dpKIb8d5GoOs88FqXMkY/appointments|title=Cara Kim MCGUINNESS personal appointments - Find and update company information|website=gov.uk}} (born 29 May 1985) is a British Labour Co-op politician who was elected as the Mayor of the North East in May 2024.{{Cite news |title=North East Mayor Election 2024 Candidates and Results |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2024/england/mayors/E47000014 |access-date=2024-05-03 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} Previously, she served as the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner between 2019 and 2024.{{cite news |title=Kim McGuinness elected as Northumbria police commissioner |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-49044340 |access-date=12 August 2022 |work=BBC News |date=19 July 2019}}{{cite news |title=Northumbria PCC 2021: Labour's Kim McGuinness retains role |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-57028324 |access-date=12 August 2022 |work=BBC News |date=7 May 2021}}
Early life
File:Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner meets Metro Mayors (53845475434).jpg, visiting Downing Street in July 2024]]
McGuinness was born in the West End of Newcastle upon Tyne. She grew up in a council house, her father was a scaffolder and her mother worked as a secretary at an insurance broker.{{Cite web |last=Davenport |first=Hannah |date=2024-05-03 |title=Who is Kim McGuinness, the first North East Mayor? |url=https://leftfootforward.org/2024/05/who-is-kim-mcguinness-the-first-north-east-mayor/ |access-date=2024-05-03 |website=Left Foot Forward: Leading the UK's progressive debate |language=en-GB}} She attended Cheviot First School and Gosforth High School.{{cite web |title=Kim McGuinness |url=https://www.tedxnewcastle.com/kim-mcguinness/ |website=TEDxNewcastle |access-date=5 May 2024 |language=en}} McGuinness was the first in her family to attend university and graduated from Newcastle University in 2006 where she studied history.{{cite news |last1=Hill |first1=Laura |title=Meet the trustees who will manage Newcastle's parks |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/theatre-boss-landlord-former-journal-14953897 |access-date=12 August 2022 |work=ChronicleLive |date=26 July 2018 |language=en}} Prior to entering politics McGuinness worked professionally in a number of sectors including finance, universities and charities.
Career
McGuinness was elected to represent the Lemington ward on Newcastle City Council in 2015, before joining the authority's cabinet in 2016 as executive member for culture, sport and public health.{{cite web |last=Holland|first=Daniel|date=2019-06-13|url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/kim-mcguinness-shes-qualified-succeed-16425925|title=Kim McGuinness on why she's qualified to succeed Vera Baird as Police and Crime Commissioner |publisher=Chronicle Live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2019-07-19/labours-kim-mcguinness-becomes-new-northumbria-police-and-crime-commissioner/|title=Labour's Kim McGuinness becomes new Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner|website=ITV News|language=en|access-date=2019-08-07}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/new-police-commissioner-kim-mcguinness-16633269|title=Why the new police commissioner is staying on as a councillor|last=Holland|first=Daniel|date=2019-07-24|website=ChronicleLive|access-date=2019-08-07}}
McGuinness became the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner in a by-election on 18 July 2019, succeeding Dame Vera Baird and the acting commissioner, Ruth Durham, following Baird leaving the role to become Victims' Commissioner. She retained the role following an election on 6 May 2021.
McGuinness was selected as the Labour candidate for the new position of North East Mayor in July 2023.{{Cite news |date=2023-07-17 |title=Kim McGuinness: Labour selects PCC as North East mayor candidate |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-66222422 |access-date=2024-03-11 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |title=North East moves one step closer to historic Mayor |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/north-east-moves-one-step-closer-to-historic-mayor |access-date=2024-03-11 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}} The election took place on 2 May 2024.{{Cite web |title=Forthcoming Elections |url=https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/services/elections-and-voting/forthcoming-elections |access-date=2024-03-11 |website=Newcastle City Council}}
In July 2023, an allegedly racist tweet came to light that McGuinness had posted in 2011. The tweet stated "f*** off! I am not a gypsy!" In February 2024 a complaint was made by The Traveller Movement to Keir Starmer, and McGuinness apologised for the remark.{{Cite web |last=Holland |first=Daniel |date=2024-02-15 |title=Labour mayor candidate accused of 'racial slur' in historic social media post |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/labour-north-east-mayor-candidate-28642025 |access-date=2024-02-16 |website=Chronicle Live |language=en}}
In May 2024 McGuinness was elected as the first North East Mayor. She won 41.3% of the vote.{{Cite web |date=2024-05-03 |title=Kim McGuinness elected first North East Mayor |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp4g0xgqnkgo |access-date=2024-05-03 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}
McGuinness became the first chair of the newly formed The Great North Partnership in May 2025.https://thegreatnorth.org.uk/news/the-great-north-unleashes-new-era-of-prosperity-spearheaded-by-northern-mayors{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2xwe4j3rgo | title=The Great North: Northern mayors unveil investment partnership }}
Personal life
McGuinness lives in Northumberland with her husband David Prutton,{{Cite web |last1=Lindsay |first1=Kali |last2=Morris |first2=Aaron |date=2024-05-03 |title=Live updates as Kim McGuinness is named North East's first-ever mayor |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/north-east-mayoral-election-live-29104417 |access-date=2024-05-03 |website=Chronicle Live |language=en}} a serving Royal Air Force officer.{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://www.kimmcguinness.org/about-me |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Kim McGuinness |language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|http://www.northumbria-pcc.gov.uk/about/your-pc}} Page on Northumbria-PCC
- {{facebook|KiMcGuinness}}
{{Current Police and Crime Commissioners of England and Wales}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McGuinness, Kim}}
Category:Police and crime commissioners in England
Category:Labour Party police and crime commissioners
Category:Councillors in Tyne and Wear
Category:Women councillors in England
Category:21st-century British women politicians
Category:Alumni of Newcastle University
Category:Politicians from Newcastle upon Tyne
Category:Women mayors of places in England
Category:Mayors of the North East
Category:Labour Party (UK) mayors
Category:Labour Co-operative combined authority mayors and deputy mayors