South Yorkshire mayor result: Labour's Oliver Coppard wins

Oliver Coppard (right) secured 143,476 first and second preference votes

Labour's Oliver Coppard has been elected as mayor of South Yorkshire.

Mr Coppard, 40, succeeds Barnsley Central MP Dan Jarvis in the role and continues Labour's hold on the position, which was created in 2018.

A total of 26.37% of the electorate - 264,720 - turned out to vote, up from 25.82% four years ago.

Mr Coppard said his priority was "getting on and delivering" promises made in his election manifesto, with a priority on improving bus services.

"The status quo is just not good enough, " he said.

"We need to make sure that we're getting on fixing our public transport network more broadly. In order to do that we do need more investment and more money from the government in London and I will be making that case from day one in the job."

"People need a public transport system they can rely on."

He also pledged to work on a green energy strategy, including insulating houses across the county.

The new mayor for Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield will have powers over economic schemes, transport services and infrastructure projects.

Oliver Coppard replaces Barnsley Central Labour MP Dan Jarvis, who has also had the mayoral role for four years

Mr Coppard received 43% of the first preference vote, but failed to reach the 50% threshold required to win following initial counting.

After the count of the second-choice votes, with Mr Coppard and Conservative candidate Clive Watkinson going head-to-head, the Labour candidate was victorious.

The final result was 143,476 first and second preference votes for Mr Coppard, with Mr Watkinson receiving 57,347 first and second preference votes.

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