Nottinghamshire's former Police and Crime Commissioner and an ex-BBC journalist have become the first people to confirm they want to stand for election as East Midlands Mayor. The mayor will head up a new East Midlands Combined Authority, which is being given significant powers in areas ranging from housing to transport by Government.
The authority, being funded to the tune of £1.14 billion over 30 years, is due to be officially up and running next May and the first election for an East Midlands Mayor is also set to be held that month. The new authority will cover the entirety of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, meaning people across both counties will be entitled to vote.
All parties will be able to put candidates forward for the East Midlands Mayor role, with applications to be the Labour Party's candidate having now opened. John Hess, the BBC's former Political Editor for the East Midlands, was the first to officially announce that he is seeking to be the Labour Party candidate on Monday (June 5).
