Labour’s Claire Ward has been elected the first mayor of the East Midlands, beating the Conservative Ben Bradley.
A Labour source described the region as “the beating heart of the general election battleground”, suggesting the party’s win there is one of the biggest signs yet it could be on track for national victory.
The region encompasses a number of key bellwether areas, as well as many former “red wall” seats, including Bolsover and Bassetlaw.
Bradley had hoped his strong local connections and name recognition – as the MP for Mansfield and leader of Nottinghamshire county council – would help him buck the trend of declining Tory support.
Polls were predicting a Labour win, and as votes were being counted he could be seen looking glum outside the venue. When asked by one reporter how he was feeling, he replied: “Meh”.
Turnout for the vote was 27.6%, with some candidates complaining the new role had not been publicised enough.
More details soon …