First day on the job: North of Tyne Mayor takes office

Day 1: Jamie Driscoll takes office as the first North of Tyne Mayor Credit: ITV Tyne Tees

Tuesday 7th May is the beginning of a new chapter for the first North of Tyne Mayor, Jamie Driscoll.

Just days ago, he was elected as Labour's successful candidate with over 76,000 votes. Today, he made himself comfortable in his new office, tasked with improving the lives of people in Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland.

He's pledged to build a new bank, grow small businesses and create affordable housing - but his major concern is tackling climate change.

So what's next?

Mr Driscoll started his day by meeting and thanking his new staff. Swiftly followed by speaking to constituents, Driscoll and his team then set budgets and listed priorities.

But do his priorities match those of the people who voted for him and those that didn't?

With an underwhelming voter turnout of 33%, we wanted to know if the people he represents were any wiser of the Mayor's big day.

Our reporter Jonny Blair has been on the streets of Whitley Bay with a photo of Jamie Driscoll to find out.

  • How long will Jamie Driscoll serve as Mayor?

The first elected Mayor will have a five-year term, which will be reduced to four years from 2024, so the next election will coincide with the Mayoral elections for other UK major cities/regions.

  • Where does the North of Tyne Combined Authority cover?

A map of the North of Tyne Combined Authority Credit: ITV Tyne Tees