Meet the people in the running to be the next South Yorkshire Mayor
We've been speaking to those in the running to replace Labour's Dan Jarvis
Last updated 4th May 2022
People across Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster will have chance tomorrow to vote for South Yorkshire's next Metro Mayor.
The Mayor is Chair of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority; a formal partnership of the four councils in South Yorkshire.
The position was originally created back in 2018 and has been held by Barnsley Central MP Dan Jarvis ever since.
However, Mr. Jarvis confirmed his intention to step down from the role last year, although he'll stay on as MP for Barnsley Central.
The successful candidate this time around will oversee a budget of £1.3 billion over their four-year tenure. This includes funding for economic development, transport, and adult education.
All the candidates running for South Yorkshire Mayor
We've been speaking to the candidates in contention for the post ahead of the opening of the polls to see what their plans are if they're successful.
Here they are in alphabetical order:
DAVID BETTNEY-SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY
You can read more about David Bettney's campaign below:
https://sdp.org.uk/2022/04/04/david-bettney-announced-as-sdp-candidate-for-south-yorkshire-mayor/
SIMON BILTCLIFFE-YORKSHIRE PARTY
You can read more about Simon Biltcliffe's campaign below:
https://www.yorkshireparty.org.uk/yorkshire-party-candidate-for-south-yorkshire-mayor/
OLIVER COPPARD-LABOUR PARTY
You can read more about Oliver Coppard's campaign below:
https://www.olivercoppard.co.uk/
JOE OTTEN-LIBERAL DEMOCRATS PARTY
You can read more about Joe Otten's campaign below:
https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/person/4897/joe-otten
CLIVE WATKINSON-CONSERVATIVE PARTY
You can read more about Clive Watkinson's campaign below:
https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/person/9584/clive-watkinson
BEX WHYMAN-GREEN PARTY
We did ask Bex Whyman for a video interview ahead of this article but unfortunately had not received one at the time of publication.
You can read more about her campaign below:
https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/person/14023/bex-whyman
Voting for South Yorkshire's Mayor
Polling stations across the region are set to open at 7am on Thursday 5th May before closing at 10pm on the same day.
South Yorkshire's first Mayor since the devolution deal came into effect is due to be announced on Friday 6th May.
Dr Dave Smith, Chief Executive of South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and Returning Officer, said: “We’re calling on everyone to turn out and vote for their next mayor.
“This is the first vote for a Mayor of South Yorkshire since the devolution deal took effect and this time, we can be clear it’s a role with real power to its elbow – over the last four years the mayor has become vital part of shaping South Yorkshire’s future.
“When elected, this person will play a major role representing our region nationally and internationally, acting as an ambassador for the area and promoting South Yorkshire as a place to live, work, visit and invest in. This election is a chance for everyone to have their say on who that should be.”