Although his military service had precluded political activity, Jarvis had joined the Labour Party at the age of 18[15] while at university.[16] Shortly before the 2010 general election, Jarvis was shortlisted for the Labour Party selection in the South Wales seat of Islwyn.[17] He picked up support from one local would-be candidate who had not made the shortlist,[18] but he was not selected.
Jarvis in 2011 during the Barnsley by-election
Jarvis was selected as the Labour candidate for Barnsley Central on 27 January 2011, following the resignation of Eric Illsley who stood down after being convicted of fraud for his part in the United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal. An eliminating ballot was held and at the penultimate stage Jarvis was tied with local councillor Linda Burgess, each several votes behind Richard Burgon. London Regional Director, Ken Clark, put two pieces of paper into the hat of Phil Dilks, the Press Officer: one that read "Loser" and one "Winner". Burgess, in going first, picked out the paper reading "Loser", and Jarvis won. In the final stage he picked up most of Burgess' votes, and won selection.[3] He became the first Labour candidate for the Barnsley Central seat since 1938 who was not born in Yorkshire.[19]
On his selection, he resigned his commission in order to stand in the by-election;[5] he gave his campaign the codename 'Operation Honey Badger', referring to a famously fierce animal and signifying his determination to fight for the people of Barnsley.[15] Jarvis found that his Nottingham origins put off some Barnsley voters, who remembered the fact that Nottinghamshire miners did not join the 1984–85 miners' strike, although he had been 12 at the time.[16]
Parliamentary career
Jarvis in 2017
Member of Parliament
He was elected for Barnsley Central with a 60.8% share of the vote on a turnout of 36.5% in the by-election held on 3 March 2011.[20]
During his maiden speech on the 2011 budget, Jarvis called for a change in economic policy including "a plan to get jobs and to help families feeling the squeeze". He also referred to Parachute Regiment colleagues who had been killed in action and argued that the UK and US should put forward reconciliation in Afghanistan.[21] He joined the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee on 21 March.[22] Jarvis spoke in a debate about NHS reforms in May 2011, paying emotional tribute to the doctors and nurses who cared for his wife, who had died the previous year, and feared an "ideological free-market agenda" which he said would undermine "all that is great about the NHS".[23]
In October 2011, Jarvis was appointed shadow arts minister, part of the shadow culture, media and sport team led by Harriet Harman; he moved to become shadow youth justice and victims minister in Labour leader Ed Miliband's October 2013 shadow cabinet reshuffle.
Following the Labour Party's defeat in the 2015 general election, and the resignation of Ed Miliband, media speculation about candidates for the party's leadership election included Dan Jarvis alongside several other MPs.[24] However, he quickly announced that he was not going to run, saying that he needed to put his young family first; he had recently remarried after losing his first wife to cancer.[25]
Jarvis voted along with 66 other Labour MPs for military action in Syria against ISIL in December 2015, arguing that the decision was "finely balanced" but that he did not believe the UK could pursue existing operations against ISIS without being able to attack ISIS's command centres on the other side of the Syrian border.[26][27] He had previously opposed military action against the Assad regime in Syria in 2013.[28]
Jarvis was elected Mayor of the Sheffield City Region in 2018.[33] He was the first directly elected mayor of the Sheffield City Region, receiving 48% of the vote in the first count and securing his position after the second count against Tory rival Ian Walker.[34]Jarvis successfully challenged Labour's decision to prevent him from holding dual public offices.[35]
Upon taking office, he became entitled to the style of Mayor.[36] On 20 September 2021 he announced he would not be standing for re-election at the 2022 South Yorkshire mayoral election.[37] but would remain an MP.[38]
Policies
As mayor, Jarvis implemented several policies that aimed to transform the area economically and socially. One of his notable initiatives was the Strategic Economic Plan (SEP), a 20-year blueprint designed to foster stronger, greener, and fairer economic growth. The plan outlined aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040, creating high-paid jobs, and reducing income inequality. The SEP was developed in collaboration with South Yorkshire's councils and local businesses and with both public and private partnerships in driving regional development.[39]
In addition to the SEP, Jarvis also focused on improving skills and educational opportunities within Sheffield with initiatives like the Sheffield Children's University, which incentivised children to participate in extra-curricular activities to boost learning capabilities. The program was aimed at children from deprived backgrounds and to correlate with higher educational attainment and better GCSE results. Jarvis allocated funds to expand the scheme to other parts of the Sheffield City.[40]
Jarvis implemented environmental policies aimed at combating climate change and promoting sustainability with the declaration of a Climate Emergency in November 2019, which set the stage for his ambitious environmental agenda. He committed the region to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, a full decade ahead of the national target. To support the target, Jarvis introduced the Sheffield City Region's Energy Strategy in July 2020. This strategy outlined a comprehensive plan to decarbonise the region's energy system.[41]
Infrastructure projects
Jarvis pushed forward new infrastructure projects to transform and improve the city's transport and connectivity landscape with most notably with the "Connecting Sheffield" project, which focused on promoting active travel by enhancing walking and cycling routes. The £50 million project was to ease congestion, improve air quality, and encourage a more active lifestyle among residents. The project involved creating new cycling routes, improving bus routes, and implementing Low Traffic Neighbourhoods to make the city more accessible and environmentally sustainable.[42]
Jarvis also improved the Northern Powerhouse Rail plan, with him advocating for a £39 billion investment to enhance rail connectivity across Northern England. The plan included upgrading key rail connections and integrating the Sheffield HS2 station into the broader network. His efforts were part of a broader vision to reduce travel times, boost economic growth, and improve transport links between major northern cities.[43]
COVID-19 pandemic
Jarvis also addressed the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic with the South Yorkshire COVID-19 Response Group to lead the region's recovery by bringing together various local institutions, including business bodies, universities, trade unions, local authorities, and community groups. The group focused on providing a coordinated response to the pandemic's impact on the economy and society, ensuring that South Yorkshire emerged resilient from the crisis. They worked on developing and lobbying for necessary support from the government to aid in recovery efforts.[44] He also implemented the Kickstart scheme, aimed at creating job opportunities for young people affected by the pandemic. Despite initial delays in the scheme's rollout, Jarvis was vocal for the need for the government to guarantee the process for placements.[45]
Minister of State for Security (2024–present)
Following the Labour Party's landslide victory in the 2024 general election, Jarvis was appointed Minister of State for Security by Prime Minister Keir Starmer following the formation of the new cabinet on 5 July.[46] `He was one of six MPs from the region of Yorkshire to appointed to the cabinet.[47]
On 9 July, three women in Bushey, Hertsmere were injured and later died of wounds sustained by a crossbow attack carried out by a 26-year old Kyle Clifford who was promptly detained by the police. Following the tragedy, Jarvis called the attack was "devastating" and offered condolences to the victims' family. Jarvis said that it was "entirely reasonable" to question current laws on the appropriate use of weapons and that ministers would act "decisively" if the laws needed to be changed. When asked whether laws on deadly weapons should be restricted, Jarvis said that the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was "very carefully" examining proposals for evidence and stated that "the Home Secretary [Yvette Cooper] is looking at this literally as we speak".[48][49]
Personal life
Jarvis met his first wife, Caroline, in 2000, when she was working as a personal chef for the family of General Sir Mike Jackson. Their first child was born in 2003, three days before Jarvis was deployed to Iraq; their second child was born in 2004. Caroline Jarvis was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2006; she died at the age of 43 in July 2010.[4][16] In 2013 Jarvis married a freelance graphic designer, Rachel Jarvis, and the couple had a child.[4][50]
Jarvis is also an author, with his memoir A Long Way Home first published in 2020. The book chronicles his time in the British Army and how he dealt with the diagnosis and untimely death of his first wife, Caroline Jarvis. In 2020, the book was named Best Memoir at the Parliamentary Book Awards 2020.
In addition, he has run the London marathon since 2010[51]
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