2022 South Yorkshire mayoral election

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2022 South Yorkshire mayoral election
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South Yorkshire numbered districts.svg
A map showing the four metropolitan boroughs of South Yorkshire.

The 2022 South Yorkshire mayoral election will take place on 5 May 2022 to elect the Mayor of South Yorkshire and lead the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority. It will take place alongside other local elections across the United Kingdom.

Background[]

In 2018, The South Yorkshire metro mayor position- then known as the Sheffield City Region- had its inaugural election. At the time of its creation, the metro mayor's role was an effectively powerless position, with no salary. It was named this originally because its boundaries went beyond the four boroughs of South Yorkshire and included some parts of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. However, these areas did not become constituent parts.[1] It's lack of power was because the borough councils of Doncaster and Barnsley opposed the creation of the mayoralty and the combined authority (then Sheffield City Region Combined Authority). They instead favoured a 'One Yorkshire' devolution deal, which would have a Mayor for all of Yorkshire in 2020.[2] Dan Jarvis, MP for Barnsley Central won this role with at second preferences. He has remained as a Member of Parliament during this term.[3]

In late-2019, Jarvis secured a deal between the four boroughs, the combined authority and the British government.[4] In 2020, the role was provided with a salary and statutory powers,[5] this was fully implemented by 2021.[1] These powers include: transport, strategic planning, coordinating investment and skills as well as £30m annual funding for 30 years.[2][4] Jarvis reportedly does not take the salary and donates it.[5][6]

Think Tank IPPR has reported that the mayor, much like other metro mayors in the North of England have utilised power beyond the remit given by the government. In South Yorkshire, for instance, the country's first 'ownership hub' was built to help businesses become worker owned or co-operatives.[7] Controversy arose in June 2021 when Jarvis' administration voted to continue a privatised bus service in South Yorkshire, despite previous pledges to bring it into public control.[8]

Electoral system[]

South Yorkshire, along with other elected mayoralties in England, will use the supplementary vote system, in which voters express a first and second preference of candidates.[9]

  • If a candidate receives over 50% of the first preference vote the candidate wins.
  • If no candidate receives an overall majority, i.e., over 50% of first preference votes, the top two candidates proceed to a second round and all other candidates are eliminated.
  • The first preference votes for the remaining two candidates stand in the final count.
  • Voters' ballots whose first and second preference candidates are eliminated are discarded.
  • Voters whose first preference candidates have been eliminated and whose second preference candidate is in the top two have their second preference votes added to the count.

This means that the winning candidate has the support of a majority of voters who expressed a preference among the top two.

All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in the combined authority area aged 18 or over on 5 May 2022 are entitled to vote in the mayoral election.

Speculation has circulated that the government may remove the supplementary vote system which mayoralties use and replace it with first-past-the-post- in line with general elections.[10]

Candidates[]

Labour Party[]

Oliver Coppard was selected as the Labour Party candidate for the election.[11] Dan Jarvis confirmed in September 2021 that he will not stand for a second term in the mayoralty in 2022.[12] Seven candidates applied for selection, which was narrowed down to a setlist of four candidates: Rachael Blake, Lewis Dagnall, Oliver Coppard and Jayne Dunn.[13] The voting period for Labour members took place in January 2022.[14] On 26 January, Oliver Coppard was announced as their candidate.[15]

Yorkshire Party[]

Simon Biltcliffe, an entrepreneur from Barnsley, was announced as the Yorkshire Party candidate on 22 October 2021.[16][17]

Green Party[]

The Green Party selected Bex Whyman as their candidate for mayor on 20 December 2021.[17]

Conservative Party[]

The Conservative Party selected Clive Watkinson as their candidate.[18]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Torr, George. "South Yorkshire mayor Dan Jarvis calls on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to work more closely with regional leaders in England". Sheffield Star. . Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Councils call to scrap South Yorkshire mayoral election". BBC News. 9 January 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  3. ^ "Labour MP Dan Jarvis elected South Yorkshire mayor". BBC News. 4 May 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  4. ^ a b "South Yorkshire hoping for £30m after Dan Jarvis brokers devolution deal". ITV News. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  5. ^ a b Torr, George. "Dan Jarvis to make a decision on his future as mayor or MP but priority now is on South Yorkshire as he hits back at critics". Sheffield Star. . Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Dan Jarvis: South Yorkshire mayor's salary to go to charity". BBC News. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  7. ^ O'Connor, Rob (16 August 2021). "Northern mayors proving regional devolution works, says IPPR". . Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  8. ^ Topham, Matthew (7 June 2021). "Dan Jarvis's bus partnership plans expose his lack of ambition for South Yorkshire". . Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  9. ^ "Mayor of Greater Manchester". BBC News. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  10. ^ Brooke, Sam (19 May 2021). "Labour's Yorkshire mayors 'could be damaged' by voting changes". YorkshireLive. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  11. ^ Rodgers, Sienna. "Labour sets timetable for selecting South Yorkshire mayoral candidate". LabourList. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  12. ^ Walker, Peter (20 September 2021). "Labour's Dan Jarvis to step down as mayor of South Yorkshire after first term". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  13. ^ Andrews, Danielle. "These are the Labour candidates in the Sheffield City Region mayoral election". www.thestar.co.uk. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  14. ^ Rodgers, Sienna. "Labour sets timetable for selecting South Yorkshire mayoral candidate". LabourList. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  15. ^ Rodgers, Sienna. "Labour selects Oliver Coppard as South Yorkshire mayoral candidate". LabourList. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  16. ^ Francis, Jo. "Biltcliffe standing for Mayor in South Yorks". Printweek. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  17. ^ a b "South Yorkshire Mayor: Two parties announce candidates for election". BBC News. 22 January 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  18. ^ "South Yorkshire mayor: Conservatives select candidate for election". BBC News. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
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