BARNSLEY Central MP Dan Jarvis was won the race to be Labour’s candidate for the Sheffield City Region mayoral election - a win which might see him forced to quit as an MP.

The Labour party this afternoon announced the results of a ballot of its 12,000 members in South Yorkshire to choose a candidate for May’s election.

Dan was elected with 2,584 votes to rival Ben Curran’s 1,903.

Turnout was 37 per cent.

Dan said in a statement: "Thank you to Labour Party members across South Yorkshire for selecting me to be their mayoral candidate. I am proud to have been chosen, grateful for the opportunity to serve, and pleased to have been part of such a comradely contest; the conduct of our members has been in the best traditions of our Labour movement.

"The election of a Mayor comes at a pivotal moment for the Sheffield City Region. To make the most of new opportunities, our first mayor will need to work with both local and national government to negotiate the best possible deal for the people of South Yorkshire. Only then will the mayor be able to end the status quo of how decisions are made and how public services are delivered; and use both devolution and cooperative principles to offer a more radical and effective way of serving the public.

"Today's result is a vote of confidence in the platform on which I am standing, and the potential of devolution; first in the Sheffield City Region and then across 'wider Yorkshire'.

"Thank you again to all those who have placed their trust in me. The Labour campaign to make South Yorkshire a stronger and more co-operative community has begun, and I stand ready to serve." 

His victory creates some uncertainty after the ruling earlier this week by Labour's ruling National Executive Committee that MPs should not hold more than one full-time elected post at a time.

It was a blow to his ambition to be Mayor of South Yorkshire on a two-year basis, while remaining an MP for Barnsley Central. He revealed last month he planned to use both positions to help usher in a new wider Yorkshire devolution deal which would include Barnsley.

Some in the party close to Dan, including Barnsley Council leader Sir Steve Houghton, belive Dan should stick to his plan given it was set out before this latest rule change.

Sir Steve told the Chronicle: “Dan has been clear about why he’s standing, and the basis he was standing, that is to carry on as an MP and serve as mayor temporarily,” he said.

“The NEC put him on the shortlist. You can’t just change the rules part way through the process. I think it could be legally challengeable."

Speaking this afternoon following the result, he added: “The right candidate won, now the Labour Party needs to respect the wishes of the party membership and move forward with Dan as our candidate. We’ll be supporting him in both roles. 

“He’s the man that will get the right deal for Yorkshire, and the right deal for those who want something else,” he said, refering to Sheffield and Rotherham, the only two councils in Yorkshire not to support a wider Yorkshire devolution deal. 

Long-time Labour Party member and former Mayor of Barnsley John Parkinson said: “I sincerely hope common sense prevails, as Dan has been open and honest about his intentions to carry on as an MP if successful in his bid to become South Yorkshire Mayor. 

“It’s the first time in all my years of being involved with elections that I’ve known the goal posts changed part way through a process, with just two days to go. 

“Let’s hope common sense prevails and the party does not damage itself over this issue.”