Oliver Coppard was elected as the second mayor of South Yorkshire in the 2022 South Yorkshire mayoral election. After consultation, the role was merged with the coterminous police and crime commissioner. This meant that rather than taking place in 2026, as previously scheduled, an early election was held on 2 May 2024.[3]
David Bettney, the SDP candidate, campaigned to reduce council tax, reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport and demanded a full financial audit on all four South Yorkshire councils covering the past 25 years.[5] He was endorsed by Reform UK.[6]