Labour MP Tracy Brabin elected as first West Yorkshire mayor

Labour's Tracy Brabin during the count for the West Yorkshire Mayoral election in Leeds - Credit: PA

Former Coronation Street actress turned Labour MP Tracy Brabin has been elected as the first West Yorkshire mayor.

Brabin, who will now stand down as Batley and Spen MP, received the most first and second preference votes, with a total of 310,923.

She beat second-place candidate – the Conservative’s Matt Robinson – by 101,786 votes.

Brabin, who won the contest on her 60th birthday, becomes Labour’s 11th candidate to claim a mayoral post – after 13 elections in cities and metropolitan areas across England.

She was elected to the House of Commons in a 2016 by-election, following the murder of Jo Cox.

Brabin said it was a “historic day” as she made a speech following the declaration at the First Direct Arena in Leeds.

She said: “It is an honour that I just can’t put into words to be standing in front of you today as the first ever metro mayor of our wonderful, dynamic, creative and diverse West Yorkshire region.”

She thanked her agent, husband, daughters and campaign team and “the people of West Yorkshire”.

“You came out and grasped the opportunity to, at long last, take decision making out of the hands of strangers in Whitehall and bring them closer to home to the people of West Yorkshire.

“Devolution is our opportunity to make West Yorkshire an even better place to live, work, study, raise a family, start a business and grow old.”