LONDON: One of the most high-profile mayors for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives, Ben Houchen, was re-elected on Friday, albeit with a much-reduced majority, in a rare win for the party amid a tough set of election results.
Houchen won re-election in Tees Valley in northern England, an area that includes the towns of Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, and Darlington, with more than 53% of the vote, down from more than 70% in 2021.
Houchen has been mayor since 2017.
Sunak and other Conservatives had hailed his record on attracting investment and regenerating the area, though he has also faced scrutiny.
In January, an independent review found no evidence to support allegations of corruption on a flagship Teesworks project but criticised a lack of transparency in how it had been managed.