Joanne Anderson, 51 is rewriting the history pages not just one but twice! The top politician has made history as UK’s first directly elected black female mayor and Liverpool’s first female mayor.
Ms. Anderson beat runner up, independent Stephen Yip, claiming 38.5 per cent of votes in the first round and 59.2 per in the second round in the city’s mayoral election on Thursday.
Celebrating the feat, the newly elected mayor wrote on Twitter: “Liverpool in the history books. Proud of our city.”
Prior to the election, she has served as the Liverpool City Councillor for Princes Park ward since October 2019.
In an interview with The Independent, Ms Anderson said she hopes to inspire young black women. “I think there’s that thing, you cannot be what you cannot see,” she said. “So I do think this will impact on girls thinking about what they can and cannot achieve… And just by being in the room, as a black woman, it will make a difference to the tone and culture here.”
The mom of one who stated she aims to rebuild the council’s reputation also pledged to “make sure that we have an accountable and transparent local authority, the one that the people of Liverpool deserve”
She was officially sworn in to the city’s highest political office at Liverpool Town Hall.
