VIDEO: Strictly or X Factor? Hendo's or tomato sauce? Sheffield City Region candidates answer the tough questions ...

Ready for a lively hustings, the Sheffield City Region mayoral candidates were prepped to sit in a line answering question from the audience for two hours solid.
Labour candidate Dan Jarvis. Picture: George TorrLabour candidate Dan Jarvis. Picture: George Torr
Labour candidate Dan Jarvis. Picture: George Torr

Five of the seven candidates who were invited to the Sheffield for Democracy hustings also had some questions to answer on camera for The Star and Doncaster Free Press.

Each candidate had a choice of seven random question ranging from transport policy, the environment and how to close the north/south divide.

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They also had to answer the real vote swinging issues such as Marmite, lover or hater? and X Factor or Strictly?

Labour candidate Dan Jarvis. Picture: George TorrLabour candidate Dan Jarvis. Picture: George Torr
Labour candidate Dan Jarvis. Picture: George Torr

One question that wasn't chosen is whether they preferred Henderson's Relish or tomato sauce. Answering that wrong would be a serious way to lose votes ...

HANNAH KITCHING - LIB DEMS

How would you unite the four South Yorkshire councils?

"I think I'm a really good person to do this because I can act as an honest broker - I'm not affiliated to any one camp in South Yorkshire and I can really bring that independent viewpoint.

Rob Murphy from the Green Party. Picture: George TorrRob Murphy from the Green Party. Picture: George Torr
Rob Murphy from the Green Party. Picture: George Torr

"There's clearly some long standing differences of opinion here and I'm not beyond perhaps bringing in independent mediation and I really do mean someone genuinely independent.

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"I'm a collaborative person, bringing everyone together and starting from the top is a really good start."

Tea of coffee?

"I'm going to go coffee, always decaf, preferably black please.

Mick Bower from the Yorkshire Party - Picture: George TorrMick Bower from the Yorkshire Party - Picture: George Torr
Mick Bower from the Yorkshire Party - Picture: George Torr

IAN WALKER - CONSERVATIVE

What would be your first priority with transport?

"I've already met with the chief executive of Transport for North and and getting the east/west links better in South Yorkshire is absolutely vital.

"We've got 8,000 cars going east to west at the moment and there's 140,000 going north to south and just shows the problems there are.

Ian Walker - Conservative. Picture: George TorrIan Walker - Conservative. Picture: George Torr
Ian Walker - Conservative. Picture: George Torr
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"We also need to sort out the buses and have an integrated ticketing system in South Yorkshire."

Marmite lover or hater?

"I love Marmite! My son-in-law hates it so we have all sorts of battles over the breakfast table but it's definitely in the genes in our family. Marmite is definitely the one for us or Vegemite if you're Australian!"

DAN JARVIS - LABOUR

Would you pursue a 'One Yorkshire' deal in two years time?

Yes, I would. I think the immediate priority is to reach an agreement here in South Yorkshire so we can draw the maximum amount of powers and money to benefit people in South Yorkshire for the next two years.

Hannah Kitching - Liberal DemnocratsHannah Kitching - Liberal Demnocrats
Hannah Kitching - Liberal Demnocrats

"I'm supportive of moving towards a wider Yorkshire deal - if that's on offer and it can be worked our among the local authorities and national government, I think we should go for that."

X Factor or Strictly?

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These are the really tough questions in life - X Factor or Strictly?

"It's a tough call, but I'm going to go for Strictly."

ROB MURPHY - GREEN PARTY

Which is the number one environmental issue?

That's a fix ... for me it's transport. Getting about in the city region is massive problem and if it doesn't work properly we get clogged roads, we get dirty air and we get stressed people.

"Better public transport, more active transport like cycling getting vehicles off the roads to free them up for the people who need them."

Sweet or savoury?

It depends on the time - probably savoury if I was going out to buy a pasty it would be savoury rather than a cake.

MICK BOWER - YORKSHIRE PARTY

How are you able to close the north/south divide?

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What we need to do is to make sure decisions affect people up here are made by people from here.

"That's what my party is all about, it's about having strong regional government so we can can have a fairer much more open, much more prosperous society that we can catch up with London."

Scon or scone?

I've sort of changed, I used to be scon as it's just easier to say but thinking about it, scone's probably reyt and actually scon is easier to say but scone is more enjoyable to say you can linger on it.

"But I'm not that bigger fan so I don't need to have one or the other."

Naveen Judah was South Yorkshire Save Our NHS and David Allen from the English Democrats were not invited to attend by Sheffield for Democracy.