Prof Tonge believes Cllr Anderson could secure more than 50% of first preferences, meaning that second choices are not even taken into account.

Had TV supremo Phil Redmond entered the race, this might not have been the case, said Prof Tonge.

“It is a shame a prominent figure from outside politics did not stand. Never say never, but people will see that Joe Anderson has swapped his title from council leader to mayor.

“It will feel like deja vu.”

Liberal Democrat Flo Clucas, former deputy leader of Liverpool council and president of the Women’s International Centre for Economic Development, expressed her dismay at the lack of a single female candidate.

She said: “I think it’s a terrible shame there are no women there.

“Mayor elections are dominated by men whereever they happen in the world.

“Women are very cooperative and work well together in teams.

“In a city like Liverpool where we work hard to encourage women in politics and business you would have liked to have think there would have been a good woman candidate.”

Ms McVey, who also runs Winning Women which helps women set up in business, said the city was being left behind by Salford and London. "It is disappointing that no women have come forward, that's for sure,” she said.

“It's a massive opportunity. I would hope that the mayor could surround himself with women in key cabinet positions."

Liverpool will be voting for candidates, while electors in other cities get to vote in referenda on whether they even want a mayor.

The council’s decision was linked to securing £130m from the Government’s City Deal but other regions have secured similar deals, without a shift to a mayor.

Regardless of the rights and wrongs of that decision, some believe Liverpool is finally having a grown-up policy driven debate about its future.