Dan’s date with devolution destiny in new mayoral role
Sheffield City Region’s new mayor starting work, Eurovision returning to screens and rail passengers facing more delays. Chris Burn looks into the Week Ahead.
DEVOLUTION DAN
Barnsley MP Dan Jarvis will start his first day in his new job as the Sheffield City Region’s first – and potentially last – mayor tomorrow.
The Labour politician, who won a convincing victory in a vote on Thursday, has pledged to use his new position to push for the long soughtafter ‘One Yorkshire’ devolution package that two of the city region’s four boroughs, Barnsley and Doncaster, wish to be part of.
He intends to combine the mayoral role with remaining as an MP.
TUNING UP
It is that time of year again with the return of the contest that starkly divides opinion between those who love or loathe it – Eurovision will be back on our screens on Saturday with 43 countries battling it out in Lisbon in the annual singing competition.
Portugal is hosting Eurovision for the first time this year after Salvador Sobral won the 2017 edition in Kiev with his song Amar Pelos Dois.
The UK will be represented this year by SuRie with her track Storm. While Saturday’s grand final will take up most of the attention, for the truly committed Eurovision fan, semi-finals for those nations who haven’t secured an automatic place in the contest will be held on Tuesday and Thursday.
SMALL-SCREEN STARS
Our most talented television actors will be celebrated on Sunday at the Bafta TV awards.
The Virgin TV British Academy Television Awards will be held at the Royal Festival Hall in London, with the event hosted by Sue Perkins.
The growing importance of streaming service Netflix to the industry is highlighted in the nominations, with its online shows The
Crown and Black Mirror up for three awards each. But two BBC programmes have the same number of nominations – hit police corruption thriller Line of
Duty and the child sexual exploitation drama Three Girls.
Sheffield’s Sean Bean is in the running for Leading Actor for his role as a troubled priest in Broken, while Huddersfield’s Jodie Whittaker could win the popular vote in the Must-See Moment category for the revelation that she was going to be the new Doctor Who.
RAIL MISERY
Strike action will once again affect rail passengers across Yorkshire on Wednesday as a 24-hour walkout takes place as part of a long-running dispute about the role of guards on trains.
The RMT union wants to prevent rail operators introducing driveronly trains, which it says will affect passenger safety and lead to job cuts.
Wednesday’s strike will affect Northern services and the company has warned that although it anticipates being able to run most of its normal services between 7am and 7pm, trains and replacement buses will be “extremely busy”. Passengers are advised to plan extra time.
ROYAL ENGAGEMENT
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are to spend the week on a tour of France and Greece to highlight the UK’s strong ties with both nations.
Their tour will begin with what is likely to prove an emotional visit to Nice, where they will commemorate the attack which took place on Le Promenade des Anglais in July 2016 and involved a truck being used to kill 86 people.
In Lyon, the couple will jointly attend a VE Commemoration to mark 73 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe. The Greek element of the trip will involve a wreath-laying ceremony at The Monument to the Unknown Soldier, as well as a visit to a local charity which helps to find accommodation for migrant families in Crete.