Steve Rotheram had barely time to celebrate his victory in the ballot to represent Labour in next year's metro mayor elections before the move had sparked a sexism row in the party.

Mr Rotheram, MP for Walton, was declared the winner this morning in the race to be Merseyside's political supremo - with Luciana Berger finishing last.

The result was decided by a ballot of around 7,000 party members from across the Liverpool City Region.

And it meant Labour's mayoral candidates across the country are all men.

Wirral South MP Alison McGovern was clearly not impressed.

Ms McGovern - who quit her job running shadow chancellor John McDonnell's policy review into reducing child poverty after he called it a "far right Blairite campaign group" - took to twitter to make her views known.

Responding to a tweet pointing out the male domination in Labour's candidate list, she asked witheringly: "Something we said?"

And her parliamentary colleague Birmingham MP Jess Phillips tweeted: "All the mayors can go on an actual man date now. We can serve the tea" 

Followed shorthy after by "Make space for a woman!! We are not furniture"

Mr Rotheram is a former bricklayer who was born in the region he wants to represent as mayor and served on Liverpool City Council before being elected as MP for Liverpool Walton in 2010.

Labour Party members from Liverpool, St Helens, Knowsley, Sefton, Wirral and the Cheshire borough of Halton, who joined before July were eligible to vote in the selection battle.

In the first round of voting Mr Rotheram received 2,029 of the votes, Mr Anderson 1,641, and Ms Berger 1,202.

Mr Rotheram secured 2,670 in the second round and Mr Anderson 2,042.

After his nomination was declared he said: "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."