WHILE much of the national media attention during this local election cycle had been focused on whether incumbent Tory mayors Ben Houchen and Andy Street would retain their positions in Tees Valley and the West Midlands, an arguably much more seismic result has been brewing in North Yorkshire.

There are few areas of the country as associated with the Tory party than North Yorkshire and it is of course home of Rishi Sunak’s seat in Richmond.

Even allowing for Labour-controlled York, the idea that Keir Starmer’s candidate David Skaith could win at all in this part of the world – let alone by a majority of almost 15,000 – will come as a surprise to many, even though bookmakers had him as narrow favourite in the run-up to the day.

The Conservative party may point fingers internally at their candidate Keane Duncan, a young man still in his 20s whose bold policy promises such as a public purchase of Scarborough’s Grand Hotel divided opinion as much as they drew attention.

Labour candidate David Skaith celebrates his victory with wife Alice and his team as returning officer Richard Flinton announces the results of the count. Picture: Ernesto Rogata

But the reality is the seeds of this result have been sown in large part by national dissatisfaction with the Conservative party. The outcome has been brewing for a while, with Tory councillors steadily losing their seats across North Yorkshire in the local elections of recent years and Labour winning the Selby and Ainsty by-election last summer.

The result may also reignite the debate around a future single devolution deal for Yorkshire.

Back in 2019 at a Tory leadership hustings, then aspiring-PM Boris Johnson warned against a single Yorkshire mayor on the grounds the winner “might not be a Conservative”.

Now, barring completely unexpected results in South and West Yorkshire’s mayoral election counts today, Yorkshire will actually have three Labour mayors. A fourth may well join them next year too when Hull and East Yorkshire elects its first mayor.

Labour's big mayoral win in Rishi Sunak's backyard is seismic - but not a complete shock: The Yorkshire Post says

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