The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has secured 20,835 votes in the South Yorkshire Mayoral election – 7.6% of the total. The SDP vote was particularly strong in the Doncaster division where the party knocked the Greens and the Liberal Democrats into fourth and fifth places respectively. David Bettney’s total vote increased from 10,177 in the previous Mayoral contest – a increase of over 204%.
SDP candidate David Bettney commented:
“I’d like to thank the voters of South Yorkshire. I massively appreciate every single vote. This is the one chance people have of making their voice, beliefs and needs heard by the people in power, and they gave their vote to the SDP to magnify that voice.
Increasing numbers of people in South Yorkshire have shown that they are willing to look at other genuine alternatives, and get behind us.
To beat the Lib Dems and Greens in Doncaster, and get roughly the same votes as the Tories in Barnsley, shows that the SDP can start genuinely competing with the establishment parties.”
SDP Leader William Clouston said:
“I’m delighted with this landmark result in South Yorkshire – the first time the SDP has retained its deposit in a major election since the 1980s. I’d like to thank David Bettney and his team for all their work within the communities of South Yorkshire – that’s the basis of this achievement. This result did not come about overnight. We have strong foundations here to build towards the general election.”
4th May 2024