STEVE Rotheram has been selected to be the Labour candidate for the Liverpool City Region metro mayor.

The Walton MP was announced as the candidate this morning beating off competition from Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson and Wavertree MP Luciana Berger.

Halton residents will have the opportunity to elect the first ever Liverpool City Region mayor in May next year as all parties go to the polls - along with voters from St Helens, Wirral, Sefton, Knowsley, Liverpool and Wirral.

In his victory speech, dad-of-three Mr Rotheram, 54,  said: “I am deeply honoured to be selected.

“I am extremely grateful to the thousands of Party members who have chosen to place their trust in me and I am determined not to let them down.

“I have travelled the length and breadth of our city region and have spoken with people in every borough, from all walks of life, who share the same ambition as me - to build a city region that utilises the energy, the talents, the ideas and the hopes of all our people, to transform the present and begin to shape its future, creating a more vibrant, more prosperous area.

“As metro mayor, I will put social justice at the heart of my administration; something which I've been passionate about all of my political career.

I'll stand up for ordinary people and be a real champion for Merseyside and Halton on the national and international stage.

“Devolution presents us with a unique opportunity to make decisions locally, in the interests of local people, to ensure each person within our 6 districts has the best chance in life.”

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “Congratulations to Steve Rotheram on being selected as Labour’s candidate to take our message for social justice to the people of Merseyside.

“Steve is a tireless campaigner and advocate for the region and as mayor would do everything possible to minimise the impact of Tory austerity.”

The three hopefuls had been battling it out with meetings and hustings across the region in recent weeks and months.

Votes of around 7,000 Labour party members determined the contest for who will be the frontrunner to be the metro mayor.

Steve Rotheram gained 2,670 votes, Joe Anderson received 2,042 and Luciana Berger had 1,202.

The turnout was 72.6 per cent.

Halton signed an historic £900 million devolution deal with Liverpool City Region in May.

The borough had already worked in partnership with Merseyside for around 10 years.

A raft of new powers will give the region responsibility for economic developemtn, transport, housing and planning, employment and skills, innovation, energy and environment, culture and European funding.

Halton Council leader Cllr Rob Polhill says the borough has benefitted from investment in the ‘northern powerhouse’.

He said: “The growth fund by being part of the City Region has helped us to attract big business to Halton we wouldn’t otherwise have secured.

“With all the austerity and government squeeze on funding, we need to work in partnership and collaboration as part of a combined authority.

“It does not mean we will lose our identity or sovereignty.

“We will still have our own Mayor and have links with Cheshire Fire and Cheshire Police. There is no plan to change this.”