KEANE Duncan said he was ‘inevitably very disappointed’ after coming second in the mayoral election - but added he was feeling ‘positive about the future of York and North Yorkshire'.

The Conservative candidate received 51,967 votes in his quest to be elected York and North Yorkshire’s first ‘metro-style mayor’, a result which put him second behind Labour’s David Skaith, who received 66,761 votes on a turnout of 29.89 per cent.

Mr Duncan, speaking to The Press after the declaration, said: “Today is not my day – sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

“That’s democracy but I feel very proud of the campaign I’ve been able to run, and I feel positive about the future of York and North Yorkshire’.”

He said he felt humbled to have had the opportunity to stand up for his home area.

Asked if he had expected to win, Mr Duncan admitted: “We always knew it was going to be tough when I started out on the campaign trail 10 months ago, I knew the outcome was not guaranteed.”

Asked if the national picture had played a part in his loss, he admitted that it had been tough for the Conservatives and he had been standing on a Conservative Party ticket, but he was proud of the way he "fought for every vote" and was thankful to everyone who supported him.

Mr Duncan said he felt supported by both the Conservative Party and the Prime Minister, pointing out that North Yorkshire is Rishi Sunak's "area as well”.

Asked if he would do anything differently, Mr Duncan, a former Daily Star journalist, said: “I think we’ve fought this as hard as we possibly could.

“We’ve left no stone unturned; we’ve been out in every single corner of this vast region meeting people. I’m not sure if I could give it anymore than I’ve given it. Today wasn’t my day but looking into the future, we’ll see what happens next.”

He added that the mayoral campaign would probably not be his last bid for elected office.

Mr Duncan said: “I love politics, I love elections, and I would hope to, expect to, fight another election in the future."