Tories win crucial Tees Valley mayor election by landslide as Labour vote collapses

The Tories have won a landslide victory in a battleground mayoral race in Tees Valley.

In a fresh blow to Labour, Conservative Ben Houchen scored a second term with a whopping 73% of the vote in the first round.

Labour's candidate Jessie Jacobs won just 27% of the vote - well under half her Tory rival, despite initial hopes Labour might be able to take the seat.

The race is regarded as one of the "big three" of the bumper crop of local elections - alongside the Hartlepool by-election which the Tories won in a shock early morning result.

The other key race is the West Midlands mayoralty, where Labour ex-minister Liam Byrne is trying to topple incumbent Andy Street.

It continued a brutal night for Keir Starmer, whose party lost a torrent of seats in traditional stomping grounds from Dudley to Sunderland to Harlow.

Sir Keir admitted his party had not set out "a strong enough case to the country" before the Super Thursday elections.

Speaking to broadcasters on Friday, he said: "I'm bitterly disappointed in the result and I take full responsibility for the results - and I will take full responsibility for fixing this.

"We have changed as a party but we haven't set out a strong enough case to the country.

"Very often we have been talking to ourselves instead of to the country and we have lost the trust of working people, particularly in places like Hartlepool.

"I intend to do whatever is necessary to fix that."

Tees Valley mayor results in full

*Ben Houchen (C) 121,964 (72.77%, +33.32%)

Jessie Jacobs (Lab) 45,641 (27.23%, -11.75%)

Electorate 496,853; Turnout 167,605 (33.73%, +12.77%)

2017: Turnout 102,100 (20.97%)

First Count - Houchen (C) 40,278; Jeffrey (Lab) 39,797; Foote Wood

(LD) 12,550; Tennant (UKIP) 9,475. Elected: Houchen