Second term in office for Arkley - Video
VOTERS in North Tyneside have elected a new mayor following the mayoral elections.
Conservative candidate Linda Arkley is once again in the council hotseat after claiming victory on Friday.
And in a surprise move, Labour candidate and former mayor John Harrison announced he was leaving politics altogether in order to spend more time with his family.
All eyes had been on the borough to see if Mr Harrison could hold on the seat he won in 2005, but he fell short, with Mrs Arkley taking the result with a near 4,500 majority.
Celebrations began in the Parks Leisure Centre, where the count had taken place, as the Conservatives gained overall control of North Tyneside Council for the first time in its 35-year history.
Mrs Arkley said: "I'm delighted we've won today.
"I'm pleased the residents have put their trust in me and I won't let them down.
"There's quite a lot to do in North Tyneside and I feel I've got policies which I feel the electorate will like.
"Regeneration is top of my list but I need to look at the finances of the council first.
"It's an absolutely historic day for the Conservative party in North Tyneside as we have the mayoral seat, 31 councillors and I have a mandate to take policies forward though the council and I'm sure they will be very successful.
"I'd like to thank everybody in North Tyneside who voted for me, and those who didn't vote I'm still the mayor and I will work extremely hard for them."
A disappointed Mr Harrison said: "My intention is that I'm finished with politics, I'll move on and do other things in my life.
"I won't be coming back as a politician or a mayor, I want to enjoy the rest of my life.
"Since 2005 it has been a 12-hour day, seven days a week and I think my family deserves to see me."
He added: "It's been a fantastic privilege to be mayor of North Tyneside since 2005 and also working with the staff of North Tyneside Council.
"The sadness I feel is we had plans for the future, the building homes for the future and also making sure we invest in building schools at the same time, to make sure we could take us into the 21st century.
"I fear these plans will be lost, and I feel really sad for North Tyneside if that happens."
Result
First round
Linda Arkley (Cons) – 24,784
Robert Batten (NF) – 1,086
John Burrows (BNP) – 3,398
Martin Collins (Green) – 1,995
John Harrison (Lab) – 19,823
Nigel Huscroft (LD) – 7,343
Second count after distribution of second choice votes from Batten, Burrows, Collins, and Huscroft:
Linda Arkley (Cons) – 27,083
John Harrison (Lab) – 22,634
Majority: 4,449
Electorate: 154,280.
Turnout: 58,429 (37.87 per cent, down 21.11 per cent from 2005 election).
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Weather for Whitley Bay
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 7 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
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Temperature: 9 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: East
