Labour MP Dan Jarvis elected South Yorkshire mayor

Labour MP Dan Jarvis has been elected as the first mayor of the Sheffield City Region.

Mr Jarvis received 144,154 votes after second preference votes were counted. Conservative Ian Walker came second with 50,619 votes.

The ex-solider will lead the Combined Authority but currently has no extra powers or funds at his disposal due to a devolution deadlock in the region.

He was chosen by voters in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.

A total of 25.82% of the electorate - 260,260 - turned out to vote in the election.

Mr Jarvis, the MP for Barnsley, said: "I'm very proud to be be elected the first mayor of the Sheffield City Region.

"I'm grateful for my opportunity to serve and I stand ready to get on with the job of drawing our region together.

"I've always believed South Yorkshire is a place with a huge potential, we have wonderful people with great talent and I am utterly committed to repaying the faith and the trust that the public have placed in me."

Among Mr Jarvis' first jobs is helping the leaders of Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham councils reach an agreement on devolution.

A deal struck in 2015 with the then chancellor George Osborne paved the way for the region to take control of power over transport, strategic planning and skills and receive £900m over 30 years.

But the leaders of Barnsley and Doncaster councils have refused to agree to the proposal and have thrown their weight, together with Mr Jarvis, into securing a devolution deal for the whole of Yorkshire.

Asked about his ability to juggle his role as an MP and as mayor, he said "people should not underestimate my determination to make a success of this".