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Dan Jarvis one of seven Sheffield City Region mayoral candidates

The position has been dogged by controversy because no devolution or funding deal has yet been agreed.

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Dan Jarvis is the overwhelming favourite to win (Anna Gowthorpe/PA)

Seven candidates have been named in the Sheffield City Region mayoral election including the Labour MP Dan Jarvis.

His party bowed to pressure to allow him to stand for election on May 4, and remain Barnsley Central MP if he wins.

The National Executive Committee had previously ruled the former Paratroop Regiment officer would have to stand down from his parliamentary seat if he wanted to run.

The position of Sheffield City Region Mayor has been dogged by controversy because – unlike similar roles in Manchester and the West Midlands – no devolution or funding deal has yet been agreed.

Two of the four South Yorkshire councils – Doncaster and Barnsley – have rejected a devolution solution centred on the county in favour of joining a pan-Yorkshire proposal.

Last month, 18 of the 20 local authorities in Yorkshire agreed to back a proposal to the Government to deliver a One Yorkshire devolution deal.

Sheffield and Rotherham were the only Yorkshire councils not to sign up to the plan.

Mr Jarvis is the overwhelming favourite to win the contest as all of the 14 South Yorkshire constituencies which will take part in the election were won by Labour at the last general election.

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