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A top Westminster aide to Jeremy Corbyn has won Labour's place on the ballot to be Liverpool's metro mayor.

Steve Rotheram beat sitting city mayor Joe Anderson and won 55% in the final run-off to be the party's candidate for the powerful new role.

The region is such a firm Labour stronghold that the dad-of-three, 54, is almost guaranteed to win the overall contest next May.

In his victory speech today Mr Rotheram - a lifelong scouser who was at Hillsborough when 96 Liverpool FC fans died - said it was time for Liverpool to stop being "ignored" by the Westminster government.

Mr Corbyn congratulated the MP and said: “Steve is a tireless campaigner and advocate for the region, and as Mayor would do everything possible to minimise the impact of Tory austerity.”

It is the second time a Westminster figure has triumphed in Labour's northern selection process in two days.

(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)

Yesterday Andy Burnham leapfrogged hot tip Tony Lloyd to be named Labour's candidate for the Mayor of Greater Manchester - just a year after failing in his bid to lead the party.

The Shadow Home Secretary said he would quit Westminster "at the first and earliest opportunity" but did not make clear if he'd have to win first.

George Osborne unveiled the 'metro mayor' role last year as part of the Tories' "devolution revolution".

Liverpool city already has a directly elected mayor - Joe Anderson, who stood in the contest - but the new job will cover a much wider area including Sefton, Knowsley, St Helens, Halton and Wirral.

(Image: James Maloney/Liverpool Echo)

The winner will also have hugely increased powers over transport, planning, housing and education with a £900m government budget.

The fund could allow a local Labour leader to unite city-wide transport links like in London and mediate between councils that don't see eye-to-eye.

Born to a staunch Liverpool Labour family in 1961 when the Beatles were playing at the Cavern Club, bricklayer Mr Rotheram set up his own building firm by the age of 22.

As a 27-year-old Liverpool FC season ticket holder, he was at the FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough where 96 of his fellow fans were crushed to death.

Round 1: Labour's Liverpool metro mayor selection (%) Round 2: Labour's Liverpool metro mayor selection (%)

His horror at the disaster - where he swapped his ticket for the doomed Leppings Lane stand 15 minutes before kick-off - spurred him on in a long campaign for justice.

After belatedly going to university he became a city councillor, Lord Mayor and MP for the safe seat of Liverpool Walton in 2010.

(Image: James Maloney/Liverpool Echo)

Mr Rotheram has stuck by Mr Corbyn since the leader made him his Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) in September.

A leader's PPS is one of their most trusted aides and their "eyes and ears" in the fractious Westminster bubble.

He has blamed "a few MPs squabbling about internal issues" for Labour's woes and admitted Westminster life was "very frustrating".

But he told the Liverpool Echo fighting for justice over the Hillsborough disaster “sustains me the most because of that passion to try and put right historic wrongs".

He was a former member of Labour's ruling NEC but stepped down from the position after he was appointed the leader's aide.

(Image: Getty Images)

Powerful ex-merchant seaman Mr Anderson became council leader in 2010 and was twice chosen as Liverpool's directly-elected city mayor.

He was backed in the latest contest by unions UNISON and GMB and several local party members.

He appeared in press coverage around the world earlier this year when he helped lead commemorations after the Hillsborough inquests.

Third-placed Luciana Berger has been the MP for Liverpool Wavertree since 2010 and has served in both Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn 's shadow cabinets.

(Image: Julian Hamilton/Sunday Mirror)

The 35-year-old began her political career as a senior official in the National Union of Students before becoming one of Westminster's youngest MPs.

She resigned as shadow mental health minister under Jeremy Corbyn as part of a wave of more than 60 frontbenchers protesting at his leadership.

The Jewish MP has also been an outspoken critic of anti-semitism in the party, but insists it will not make her quit.

Ms Berger was born in North London and now considers herself an "honorary scouser" after moving to Liverpool before 2010.

She told the Echo she was "surprised and disappointed" to be the only woman in Labour's mayoral contest.

Liverpool's metro mayor results in full

ROUND 1

Steve Rotheram 2,029 (42%)

Joe Anderson 1,641 (34%)

Luciana Berger 1,202 (25%)

(Note: Totals add up to 101% due to rounding)

ROUND 2

Luciana Berger's votes reassigned:

Steve Rotheram 641

Joe Anderson 401

FINAL RESULT

Steve Rotheram 2,670 (55%)

Joe Anderson 2,042 (42%)

Non-transferable 160