People in the West of England go to the polls on May 1 to elect a new Metro Mayor. Six candidates are vying for the role, which controls how millions of pounds are spent across Bristol, South Gloucestershire and B&NES.
But the arrest on April 4 of the outgoing mayor, Labour’s Dan Norris MP, on suspicion of sexual offences and child abduction, has overshadowed the election campaign and many voters are not clear what the leader of the West of England Combined Authority does. JOHN WIMPERIS explains.
What does the West of England Combined Authority do?
Created in 2017, the combined authority is made up of Bristol City Council, South Gloucestershire Council, and Bath and North East Somerset Council. It was largely intended to cover the former County of Avon, although North Somerset Council chose not to join.
A West of England Combined Authority spokesperson said: “The combined authority plays a key role in the West of England, including areas such as jobs and growth, transport, skills, the environment, planning and housing, and business support.”
The Metro Mayor leads the combined authority, where major decisions are made up of a committee of the Metro Mayor and the leaders of the three other councils. It deals with how to deliver millions of pounds of investment into the region. But its main role is as the regional transport authority, ensuring public transport covers the area.
Although most buses are run by commercial bus companies, the combined authority provides live bus information under the travelWEST brand and pays for supported bus services on routes which are not commercially viable for bus companies. Any move towards bus franchising — having a publicly run bus network like in London and Greater Manchester — would be led by the combined authority if it happens.
The combined authority has funded the birthday bus pass scheme, the hireable e-scooters in Bath and Bristol, and the MetroWest project to increase the frequency of trains and open new stations — which includes the reopening of the railway to Portishead. The combined authority will play a key role in the future of the region’s mass transit system.
The combined authority is also supposed to lead coordination between its constituent councils on housing strategy through a regional housing plan. But attempts to work together to draw up this plan have not been successful.
Combined authorities are set to become even more powerful in future under the Labour government’s “English Devolution” plans.
Who’s been Metro Mayor so far?
Conservative Tim Bowles was the holder of the title for the first four years of the combined authority.
Labour’s Dan Norris won the election in 2021. Since July 2024, he has also been the MP for North East Somerset and Hanham.
Who wants to be Metro Mayor?
Six people are standing for the position. The full list of candidates is:
Arron Banks (Reform UK)
Helen Godwin (Labour)
Oli Henman (Liberal Democrat)
Mary Page (Green)
Ian Scott (Independent)
Steve Smith (Conservative)