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'City of firsts': Liverpool elects first ever black female mayor

WION Web Team
Liverpool, United KingdomUpdated: May 08, 2021, 01:00 PM IST
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Joanne Anderson: First ever Black female Mayor of Liverpool Photograph:(Twitter)

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Sharing her experiences of bankruptcy she promised to bring the city out of the financial crisis caused due to the coronavirus pandemic

These are times when a positive change is taking over the world and one such example is of Liverpool which has collectively elected its first-ever Black female mayor.

Joanne Anderson, a 50-year-old, became the first woman and first Black female mayor to lead the city by winning 59 per cent (46,493) of the total votes against her opponent Stephen Yip.

The six-foot-tall, Labour member promised the take the city on a "restorative path" and assured that Liverpool will have "the best accountability and transparency structures in the country".

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She also apologised to the locals of Liverpool for the ‘political scandal’ that had shaken the city in December after the former mayor was arrested over corruption claims, which he denies.

She also acknowledged her record of being the first female and Black mayor and thanked the city locals for helping her achieve it. "Liverpool has always been a city of firsts – one that does things differently and that charters its own path. Today, we made history," she said.

Anderson also opened up about how she had not ever intended to enter the world of politics or contest for Mayor. "It hasn’t been a lifelong ambition, but I could see our city was in peril," she explained.

Sharing her experiences of bankruptcy she promised to bring the city out of the financial crisis caused due to the coronavirus pandemic. She also assured to continue raising her voice for violence against women and girls and promote equality and diversity in the city.

However, she has also announced her support for the campaign of scrapping mayoralty, for which a referendum will be held in 2023 on the continuation of the role.