Mike Starkie

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Mike Starkie is a British Conservative politician who was the directly elected mayor of Copeland, for the Borough of Copeland in Cumbria. [1]

He stood as an Independent, winning the 2015 election and beating the Labour candidate after transfer votes (the Conservatives were eliminated after coming last in the first round of votes). [2] [3] In June 2020, Starkie dropped his "independent" designation and announced he had joined the Conservative Party. [4]

He is supportive of elected mayors, and has called for a referendum on having an elected mayor for the whole county of Cumbria. [5] Starkie was the first and only Mayor of Copeland. His position was established (after a referendum) to replace the role of a Council leader and Cabinet. It was abolished as part of the local government reorganisation in Cumbria on 1 April 2023.

Starkie supported the Whitehaven coal mine project. [6]

Election results

Copeland mayoral election 7 May 2015
PartyCandidate1st round2nd round1st round votesTransfer votes, 2nd round
TotalOf roundTransfersTotalOf round
Independent Mike Starkie9,83630.5%5,39715,23351.2%
​​
Labour Steve Gibbons12,86739.9%1,66214,52948.8%
​​
Conservative Chris Whiteside9,50929.5%
​​
Turnout 32,212
Independent win
Copeland mayoral election 2 May 2019 [7]
PartyCandidate1st round2nd round1st round votesTransfer votes, 2nd round
TotalOf roundTransfersTotalOf round
Independent Mike Starkie10,00857%
​​
Labour Linda Jones-Bulman4,54426%
​​
Conservative Gerard McGrath2,89517%
​​
Turnout 17,447
Independent hold

References

  1. ↑ "Copeland chooses Mike Starkie as first elected mayor". BBC News. BBC News. 8 May 2015.
  2. ↑ "Elected Mayor of Copeland, Mike Starkie". Copeland Borough Council.
  3. ↑ "Thousands of ballot papers rejected in Copeland mayor election". itv News. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  4. ↑ "Independent Mayor Mike Starkie joins Conservatives". Whitehaven News. 22 June 2020.
  5. ↑ "Let the people vote on Mayor – Starkie". The Mail. 6 October 2018.
  6. ↑ "Former mayor says coalmine decision 'disappointing'". BBC News . 13 July 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  7. ↑ "Copeland Mayoral - Thursday, 2nd May, 2019". Copeland.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
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