Labour metro mayor in West Yorkshire 'not a foregone conclusion', says Conservative chairman Amanda Milling

The Conservatives have begun searching for their candidate at next May's mayoral election, being held after the county agreed a £1.8bn deal handing over powers and resources from government.

Whoever is elected will join the likes of Greater Manchester's Andy Burnham, Ben Houchen in the Tees Valley and mostly recently Dan Jarvis in South Yorkshire in holding new powers over housing, transport and skills.

Hugh Golbourne, a commercial lawyer and director of a clean energy investment fund, today became the latest person to announce their plans to be Labour's candidate, joining former MP Paula Sherriff.

And Conservative co-chairman Amanda Milling said her party's search for "an exceptional candidate" was now underway.

Though all of West Yorkshire's five local councils are Labour-run, the Conservatives took four seats in the county at the December General Election as Boris Johnson won an 80-seat majority.

Ms Milling said: “We have seen in the last few years the positive impact a Conservative mayor can do in places like Tees Valley and the West Midlands, and I believe a Conservative mayor for West Yorkshire can help to level up the lives of people living in the region.

“Many people may have already written the election off as a Labour victory, but as we can see from the four new Conservative constituencies in West Yorkshire, it is not a foregone conclusion and we will be fighting the best campaign we can to deliver a Conservative mayor for West Yorkshire.”

Mr Golbourne, who moved to Huddersfield in 2009, is a senior lawyer with Haddeltons and a Director of Huddersfield Unlimited where he leads a project to bring new investment and jobs into the local health technology sector.

He said: "So much of politics in Yorkshire is about Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield fighting for scraps from Westminster.

"I want to take this once in a lifetime opportunity to take a fresh approach to the role.

"I’m not defined by the existing political structures and I’m definitely someone who can get things done, which is crucial in this period of crisis in both health and the economy.”