South Yorkshire mayoral candidates to face voters in Doncaster hustings event

The event, which will take place on 19 April, will see candidates go head to head as well as taking questions from members of the public.

Doncaster Chamber of Commerce – in partn­­­­ership with Sheffield Chamber, Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber, The Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Make UK and The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) – will host the gathering at Doncaster College.

A spokesman said: “This will be an opportunity for attendees to hear from those who are running to be Mayor of South Yorkshire this year.”

A similar forum was organised back in 2022, when the mayoral post was last up for election.

The then-aspiring candidates had a platform to explain their respective visions, priorities and plans for the region, before fielding questions from an audience comprised of local businesses.

A Doncaster Chamber spokesman said: In a nutshell, it was a chance for delegates to get to know their prospective mayors so that they could then make a more informed decision about who they wanted to vote for come election day.”

Oliver Coppard emerged as the successful candidate in 2022 and, under normal circumstances, this would mean that he would only be halfway through his term right now.

However, because the remit of the South Yorkshire Metro Mayor will soon be expanding – to take on additional Police and Crime Commissioner powers - it must once again be put to a vote.

As such, another hustings event is now being convened and once again, it will be an opportunity for attendees to learn more about those who have put themselves forward to be Mayor of South Yorkshire.

In addition to this, they will also be able to take part in a lively Q&A session; where they can pose their burning questions directly to candidates and raise any concerns that they think ought to be on the radar of whomever gets elected.

Encouraging businesses and prospective candidates to attend this event, Dan Fell, Chief Executive of Doncaster Chamber, said: “It’s vital that our region’s Mayor be attuned to the needs and wants of the local business community.

"After all, they will play an instrumental role in shaping South Yorkshire’s infrastructure and economy in the years to come.

“Now that they are also taking on Police and Crime Commissioner responsibilities, they will no doubt be instrumental in tackling issues like antisocial behaviour, theft, and cybercrime, which we know to be major concerns for many of our members as well.

“With that in mind, this hustings event is a great opportunity for businesses to really get a feel for the prospective mayors and to make sure their voice is being heard by them too.

"Meanwhile, for the candidates themselves it is a chance to find out what’s important for their future constituents and how they can better represent them. We are therefore urging businesses and candidates alike to attend, so that the conversation here can be as productive as possible.”

More information, and the actual link to book onto the event, can be found HERE