BBC News, West of England
Labour’s new metro mayor, Helen Godwin, says she is thrilled to have won the West of England Combined Authority election.
It was a tight race between Labour and Reform UK for the role, which is responsible for public transport, creating job opportunities and supporting businesses across Bristol, south Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset.
Labour won 25% (51,197) of the votes, Reform claimed 22.1% (45,252), while the Green party secured 20% (41,094).
Ms Godwin said she was “excited” to begin the “important role” and ready to “get it right”. Meanwhile, Arron Banks said there was a “tidal wave” of support for Reform UK.
“I really want to get going,” Ms Godwin said.
“We want to get this right.”
She added that transport, housing and linking up young people to job opportunities will be her first priorities.
“I also want to improve the way we are telling our story and showcasing ourself to the government, internationally and to other parts of the country, so that others can see the absolute potential we’ve got here.”
‘Quite different’
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Ms Godwin said she would look at buses initially.
Asked how she would be different to the previous mayor, who was also Labour until he was suspended from the party, Ms Godwin said: “I am now the mayor so it’s going to be quite different.
“I can’t speak for what’s gone before, I know what I’m going to do. I know how I work.
“So it will feel very different but it will be very proactive: just getting stuff done, working with people, working with whoever I need to. And hopefully working at pace as well.”
The West of England Combined Authority has only recently had the ‘best value notice’ – put on it by the government partially due to poor relationships between political leaders – lifted.
Green leader of Bristol City Council Tony Dyer said: “Its important that whoever the new combined authority mayor is…there is a need for them to recognise the progress that has been made.”
The Green’s candidate Mary Page told the LDRS: “In Bristol we came second, I am absolutely stoked by that.
“Our campaign was run on a shoestring. It was pulled together last minute because I had to be that replacement candidate and needs must and I stepped up.”
Speaking in Bristol after his defeat, Mr Banks told supporters: “This was our least likely place to win and we came up 6,000 votes short.
“It’s an amazing result, Bristol and Bath, Bristol in particular, is the home of the left-wing, Marxist crazy people. Shows we can win anywhere.
“I think there’s a wider feeling of discontent with the bigger parties.
“We have seen Reform victory after Reform victory.
“It looks like Bristol liked Banksy after all.”
Speaking to the LDRS, Mr Banks added: “That was a pretty epic response to be honest.
“Bristol and Bath should not be natural Reform territory and we aced it.
“The Greens will be disappointed they didn’t win but it was a good result for us.”
During the campaign, he said he would use the mayoral role to “audit the hell out of local councils”, and promised to close down the WECA office, and “sack the 400 people who are just shuffling paper around doing nothing”.
Additional reporting by John Wimperis
