Labour moderate MP Dan Jarvis enters Sheffield City Region mayoral race

EX-Labour leadership contender Dan Jarvis yesterday formally entered the race to become the Sheffield City Region mayor - joining the growing number of senior party figures abandoning Westminster politics.

The MP is from the moderate wing of the party and was widely tipped to be a future Labour leader before Jeremy Corbyn's left-wing takeover.

He will be up against former sports minister Richard Caborn and Sheffield city councillor Ben Curran in the contest to be selected as Labour's candidate.

If successful he will become the fourth senior Labour MP to abandon their ambitions in Westminster to become regional mayors since Mr Corbyn took over as leader.

Sadiq Khan was elected London Mayor in 2016 and last year Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram were elected mayors of Manchester and Liverpool respectively.

But unlike those three Mr Jarvis said he would try to remain as MP for Barnsley Central - which would almost certainly attract controversy in South Yorkshire over concerns of a conflict of interest.

In a statement yesterday Mr Jarvis said: "South Yorkshire is entering a pivotal period in its development.

"Our soon-to-be-elected Sheffield City Region mayor will be key to unlocking the investment that our region needs: our transport, broadband, education and training systems are not fit for the challenges of the 21st Century.

"Investment in our housing and the environment lags behind what we need. All must be delivery priorities for the new mayor."