Who is the current mayor of sheffield england

1. Who holds the ceremonial office in Sheffield — the Lord Mayor

Sheffield’s civic, ceremonial role of Lord Mayor is currently held by Councillor Safiya Saeed, who was sworn in as the city’s 128th Lord Mayor at a council meeting in May 2025, making history as the first Black, hijab‑wearing holder of the office ^{[1] [2]}. The Lord Mayor is a civic ambassador with mainly ceremonial duties — an office elected annually by Sheffield City Council and rooted in centuries of local tradition — and the role does not carry executive powers over local government policy ^{[5] [1]}. Saeed succeeded Jayne Dunn, who had been the 127th Lord Mayor after her inauguration earlier in 2024, and Dunn’s election and priorities were widely reported in local outlets and the council’s own materials ^{[6] [7] [8]}.

2. Who is the region’s directly elected mayor with devolved powers

For clarity, the title “mayor” can also refer to the directly elected Metro Mayor of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority — a regional post that exercises devolved powers over areas such as transport, skills and housing — and that office is held by Oliver Coppard, who was elected by the combined authority area that includes Sheffield ^{[3] [4]}. This metro mayor is distinct from the Lord Mayor: Coppard is a political leader of the combined authority covering Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield and is responsible for strategic decisions across the region rather than the ceremonial functions of the city’s Lord Mayor ^{[3] [4]}.

3. Why the distinction matters and how reporting can confuse readers

Much of the public’s confusion stems from overlapping terminology: “mayor of Sheffield” can mean the historic, annually appointed Lord Mayor (a civic ambassador elected by councillors) or the directly elected metro mayor whose remit covers the broader South Yorkshire region and who wields devolved powers ^{[5] [3]}. Local council pages and local press make the distinction explicit — Sheffield City Council lists the Lord Mayor as a ceremonial office and names recent incumbents like Jayne Dunn and Safiya Saeed ^{[6] [7] [1]}, while regional bodies and the BBC and institute briefings register Oliver Coppard as the metro mayor responsible for the combined authority ^{[9] [3] [4]}. Readers should check which office a story is referring to before assuming it concerns executive authority in the city.

4. Recent incumbents and the annual turnover of the Lord Mayoralty

The Lord Mayoralty in Sheffield is an annually rotating honour: Jayne Dunn served as the 127th Lord Mayor following her inauguration at the council’s Annual General Meeting in 2024, and local reporting and the council’s own site set out both her background and civic priorities ^{[6] [7] [8]}. In May 2025, Safiya Saeed succeeded Dunn to become the 128th Lord Mayor, a change documented by major outlets including the BBC and local publications and reflected in council records ^{[1] [2]}. The short, ceremonial tenure explains why different names appear in sources depending on their publication date.

5. Bottom line for anyone seeking “the mayor of Sheffield”

If the question is about the city’s ceremonial first citizen, the current Lord Mayor is Safiya Saeed ^{[1] [2]}; if the interest is in the political, directly elected mayor with devolved regional powers affecting Sheffield, the relevant officeholder is Oliver Coppard of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority ^{[3] [4]}. Where sources diverge, verify whether they mean the Lord Mayor (city ceremonial post, elected annually by councillors) or the Metro Mayor (directly elected regional executive), and consult the council or combined authority pages for the latest incumbents ^{[6] [10] [3]}.