Kim McGuinness elected first North East Mayor

It was a red-on-red contest that at one stage looked like it might embarrass Labour.

But speculation that independent contender Jamie Driscoll might beat his former party’s candidate in the North East mayoral election proved wide of the mark.

Instead Kim McGuinness, until now Northumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner, won by a good margin.

When Mr Driscoll, a former Labour North of Tyne mayor, was excluded from the party’s shortlist for the North East role, it sparked widespread sympathy and disquiet. Many believed he was punished for being on the left of the party.

A crowdfunding campaign to support his mayoral bid followed, and out on the doorstep his claim that, as an independent, he wasn’t beholden to party bosses in London struck a chord with some voters.

But on Friday it was Labour supporters cheering while Mr Driscoll appeared deflated.

He did, however, point out that attracting more than 120,000 votes without a party machine was an achievement, and signalled he may launch another mayoral bid in four years.