County Durham Labour has welcomed the election of the first North East Mayor, after Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, claimed victory at the polls.
Labour Leader, Cllr Carl Marshall, said:
“It is a fantastic result for Kim and a fantastic result for our region. I’d like to congratulate Kim for a very much deserved victory and for all of her hard work and unrelenting positivity during a long and gruelling campaign.
“County Durham Labour is focused on working closely with Kim to deliver for the people of our county. On the campaign trail she was welcomed on the doorstep by residents and it’s fantastic that the positivity surrounding Kim’s campaign, that we all experienced while campaigning with her in communities, has been carried into the elections.
“It was clear then and it is clear now, people have had enough of this self-serving Tory government and are just as fed up with the chaotic Tory-led Coalition leading Durham County Council, and many will see Kim’s election as the first step in turning County Durham back into a Labour county.
“As Mayor, Kim will be a passionate advocate for all of the North East, helping unite villages, towns, counties and boroughs to unite and work together to attract the investment required to ensure the region fulfils its undoubted potential.”