As local election results pour in across the country, it’s the Tees Valley count that is making waves. Ben Houchen has been re-elected as Tees Valley mayor with 73 per cent of the vote. To put things into perspective, Houchen won 39.5 per cent of the vote in 2017. His re-election had been priced in after the Tories’ success in the Hartlepool by-election. However, the size of his mandate has taken even Houchen’s supporters by surprise.
So what’s gone right? When the Tees Valley mayoralty was created, the general consensus was that Labour would win it. When Houchen won, it came as a surprise and was seen by some as a result of Theresa May’s popularity. However, Houchen’s popularity has endured where May’s has waned.
Houchen has created his own brand of Conservatism
Firstly, Houchen has created his own brand of Conservatism. He has become known for doing things differently – he has taken Teesside International Airport into public ownership and pledged to ‘bring steelmaking back to Teesside’ with electric arc furnace technology.
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