Liverpool elect first mayor

Joe Anderson making his victory speech in Liverpool Credit: ITV Granada

Liverpool voters have chosen the current council leader Joe Anderson to become the city's first elected mayor.

Mayor Anderson won the city's first mayoral elections with 58,448 votes.

Liverpool City Council voted in February to accept a "city deal", which is set to bring in £130m in additional government funds.

Independent candidate Liam Fogarty came second in the poll with 8,292 votes. He beat Liberal Democrat Richard Kemp, who got 6,238 votes, into third place.

With 57.70% of the vote, Mayor Anderson won at the first count.

He said: "The people of Liverpool have spoken decisively in favour of the Labour Party.

"They have rejected the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats within this city and have given me their trust and the Labour Party their trust.

"I promise to you that we will deliver on our pledges and on our promises."

Mr Fogarty had run a long campaign for Liverpool to have a mayor.

In a speech he said he was proud to have come second and thanked his supporters.

Campaigning in the city had been marred this week after both the British National Party and National Front candidates were arrested.

BNP candidate Mike Whitby was arrested on Monday over allegations that signatures on his nomination papers were faked.

And on Wednesday, National Front candidate Peter Tierney, who also goes by the surname Quiggins, was charged with breaching the Public Order Act outside Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday.

As the result was announced shortly after 4am this morning, a group of National Front supporters unveiled a banner and then heckled Mr Anderson as he took to the stand to give his acceptance speech.

The new mayor added: "The future of this city is a bright one. It is not represented by fascists or by people who do not represent this city.

"It is proud to be represented by democrats, democrats like you and like me and like every citizen within this city, and we will democratically defeat those fascists at the ballot box every time.

"That is why they shout loudly now, because the people of this city have told them loud and clear: get stuffed."