Joe Anderson elected Liverpool's Mayor on first ballot

Labour's Joe Anderson has become Liverpool's first directly-elected mayor with 58,458 votes.

He gained more than the 50% of the votes needed on the first ballot. Overall turnout was 30.8%.

His nearest rival, former BBC journalist Liam Fogarty, came second with 8,292 votes.

Mr Anderson announced that he had appointed rivals as key advisors, setting out areas he wanted to work in.

He has appointed Sir Ian Gilmore to chair a commission into health, former Labour Education Secretary Estelle Morris will chair an education commission, and ex-Liberal Democrat Paul Clein will also sit on the panel.

Mr Fogarty will take a position on the board of the council IT joint venture with BT Liverpool Direct Limited. Former deputy council leader and Liberal Democrat councillor Flo Clucas will advise on European affairs.

As leader of the ruling Labour group it was Mr Anderson's initiative to skip a mayoral referendum and go ahead with a direct election for a mayor.

Mr Fogarty, who stood as an independent, had been a leading campaigner for an elected mayor in the city.

Mr Anderson said: "The people of Liverpool have spoken decisively in favour of the Labour party.

"They have rejected the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in this city, and have given me their trust, and the Labour party their trust.

"We will deliver on our pledges and our promises.

"The people of this city need new houses, they need jobs and they need new schools.

"This is what will be delivered by an administration with a Labour mayor.

"The future of this city is a bright one."

'A coronation'

Richard Kemp, who stood as the Liberal Democrat candidate, came third in the poll with just over 6% of the vote.

The city's Liberal Democrat party have been critical of the move to an elected mayor without a referendum.

Mr Kemp said: "The promise was that because there was a mayoral contest there would be a big turnout.

"In fact the turnout in Liverpool is a lot less than last year. Already it is falling at the first fence."

University of Liverpool professor of politics Jon Tonge said Mr Anderson's gaining of almost 60% of the vote meant "it wasn't a count, it was a coronation".

<bold>· All the latest election results are available at </bold> <link> <caption>bbc.co.uk/vote2012</caption> <altText>BBC Vote 2012 special report and results service</altText> <url href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17270000" platform="highweb"/> </link>

* Second preference votes are only used to elect the mayor if no single candidate receives more than 50% of first preferences.