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Kim McGuinness

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Mayor
Kim McGuinness
McGuinness in 2023
Mayor of the North East
Incumbent
Assumed office
7 May 2024
DeputyMartin Gannon
Preceded byJamie Driscoll
(as Mayor of the North of Tyne)
Tracey Dixon
(as Chair of the North East Combined Authority)
Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria
In office
19 July 2019 – 8 May 2024
Preceded byVera Baird
Succeeded bySusan Dungworth
Member of Newcastle City Council
for Lemington
In office
7 May 2015 – September 2019
Succeeded byJason Smith
Personal details
Born
Cara Kim McGuinness

(1985-05-29) 29 May 1985 (age 39)
Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Political partyLabour Co-op
Alma materNewcastle University (BA)
WebsiteOfficial website

Kim McGuinness[1] (born 29 May 1985) is a British Labour and Co-operative Party politician who was elected as the Mayor of the North East in May 2024.[2] Previously, she served as the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner between 2019 and 2024.[3][4]

Early life and career

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McGuinness, with Richard Parker, visiting downing street in July 2024

McGuinness was born in the West End of Newcastle upon Tyne.[5] She grew up in a council house, her father was a scaffolder and her mother worked as a secretary at an insurance broker.[6] She attended Cheviot First School and Gosforth High School.[7] McGuinness was the first in her family to attend university and graduated from Newcastle University in 2006 where she studied history.[8] Prior to entering politics McGuinness worked professionally in a number of sectors including finance, universities and charities.[8]

McGuinness was elected to represent the Lemington ward on Newcastle City Council in 2015, before joining the authority's cabinet in 2016 as executive member for culture, sport and public health.[5][9][10]

McGuinness became the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner in a by-election on 18 July 2019, succeeding Dame Vera Baird and the acting commissioner, Ruth Durham, following Baird leaving the role to become Victims' Commissioner.[3] She retained the role following an election on 6 May 2021.[4]

McGuinness was selected as the Labour candidate for the new position of North East Mayor in July 2023.[11][12] The election took place on 2 May 2024.[13]

In July 2023, an allegedly racist tweet came to light that had been posted by Kim McGuinness in 2011. The tweet stated "f*** off! I am not a gypsy!" In February 2024 a complaint was made by The Traveller Movement to Keir Starmer, and McGuinness apologised for what she admitted was an "offensive" remark.[14]

In May 2024 McGuinness was elected as the first North East Mayor. She won 41.3% of the vote.[15]

Personal life

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McGuinness lives in Northumberland with her husband David Prutton,[16] a serving Royal Air Force officer.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "Cara Kim MCGUINNESS personal appointments - Find and update company information". gov.uk.
  2. ^ "North East Mayor Election 2024 Candidates and Results". BBC News. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Kim McGuinness elected as Northumbria police commissioner". BBC News. 19 July 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Northumbria PCC 2021: Labour's Kim McGuinness retains role". BBC News. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  5. ^ a b Holland, Daniel (13 June 2019). "Kim McGuinness on why she's qualified to succeed Vera Baird as Police and Crime Commissioner". Chronicle Live.
  6. ^ Davenport, Hannah (3 May 2024). "Who is Kim McGuinness, the first North East Mayor?". Left Foot Forward: Leading the UK's progressive debate. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Kim McGuinness". TEDxNewcastle. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  8. ^ a b Hill, Laura (26 July 2018). "Meet the trustees who will manage Newcastle's parks". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  9. ^ "Labour's Kim McGuinness becomes new Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner". ITV News. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  10. ^ Holland, Daniel (24 July 2019). "Why the new police commissioner is staying on as a councillor". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  11. ^ "Kim McGuinness: Labour selects PCC as North East mayor candidate". BBC News. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  12. ^ "North East moves one step closer to historic Mayor". GOV.UK. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Forthcoming Elections". Newcastle City Council. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  14. ^ Holland, Daniel (15 February 2024). "Labour mayor candidate accused of 'racial slur' in historic social media post". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  15. ^ "Kim McGuinness elected first North East Mayor". BBC News. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  16. ^ Lindsay, Kali; Morris, Aaron (3 May 2024). "Live updates as Kim McGuinness is named North East's first-ever mayor". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  17. ^ "About". Kim McGuinness. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
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