2025 West of England mayoral election

The 2025 West of England mayoral election will be held on the 1st of May, 2025 to elect the mayor of the West of England, on the same day as other local elections across the country. It will be the third election for the role. For the first time the mayor will be elected using first past the post.

Background

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The West of England term has been used as a synonym for either south-west England or the former county of Avon which was abolished in 1996. The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) was created in 2017 as a statutory body which covers the local authority areas of Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset.[1][2] It broadly resembles Avon, but excludes North Somerset because that council opposed joining the combined authority, although they collaborate on some projects.[3][4] In October 2020, there were discussions around North Somerset joining the WECA in time for the May 2021 election,[5][6] but councillors in Bristol voted down this proposal in early 2021.[7] The mayor of the West of England is the directly elected head of the WECA.[8] Under a devolution deal agreed in 2017, they have powers over a £30 million annual allocation from the government, to fund transport management, strategic planning of land and housing and adult education.[4]

Electoral system

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The election will use the voting system of first past the post to elect the mayor, in this system the candidate with the most votes wins. The Electoral Reform Society described the move towards first past the post as one lowering the bar for politicians and thus damaging British democracy.[9]

Candidates

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Labour

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There are 3 candidates on the shortlist to become the Labour candidate:[10][11]

  • Nicola Beech, former councillor and cabinet member of Bristol City Council
  • Helen Godwin, former councillor and cabinet member of Bristol City Council
  • Tom Renhard, Bristol Labour group leader and Bristol City councillor

Conservative

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After a meeting on the 9th of November Conservative members selected Steve Smith a former Lord Mayor and Bristol City Councillor.[12] Other candidates included 2021 Conservative nominee Samuel Williams who was mistakenly identified as the nominee by Bristol Live prior to the selection meeting,[13] and former leader of South Gloucestershire Council Toby Savage.

Green

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There are two potential candidates for the Green Party:

  • Heather Mack, Deputy Leader of Bristol City Council and Bristol City Councillor
  • Mary Page, 2024 Green Candidate for Bristol North West[14]

References

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  1. ^ Pipe, Ellie (23 July 2020)."Metro mayor on the future of transport in the Bristol region". Bristol 24/7. Retreieved 13 May 2024
  2. ^ "Elections 2017 results: Who are the new metro mayors?". BBC News. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  3. ^ Grubb, Sophie (24 July 2020). "West of England Mayor election 2021: Lib Dems announce candidate". Bristol Live. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  4. ^ a b Ashcroft, Esme (4 May 2018). "Weca Metro Mayor marks first anniversary - but what has he done?". Bristol Live. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  5. ^ "North Somerset Council joining Weca 'could secure vital funds'". BBC News. 28 October 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  6. ^ Sumner, Stephen (27 October 2020). "Not joining regional partnership would be "stupid"". Bristol Live. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  7. ^ Postans, Adam (3 February 2021). "Minister offers path for North Somerset to join Weca". Bristol Live. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  8. ^ Team, Bath Echo News (17 February 2017). "First meeting set for newly established West of England Combined Authority". Bath Echo. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Local elections: A third of the vote shouldn't make a mayor". www.electoral-reform.org.uk. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  10. ^ Green, Daniel (1 November 2024). "West of England mayor: The three aspiring Labour candidates shortlisted". LabourList. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  11. ^ Booth, Martin (3 November 2024). "Darren Jones endorses Helen Godwin for metro mayor". B24/7. Bristol24/7. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  12. ^ Postans, Adam (11 November 2024). "Tories name ex-Bristol councillor as WECA mayor nominee". Bristol Live. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  13. ^ Seabrook, Alex (6 November 2024). "Two more candidates enter the West of England mayoral race". Bristol Live. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  14. ^ Seabrook, Alex (25 October 2024). "'Scrap the mayor' campaigner running to be Green WECA mayor". Bristol Live. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
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