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 (Weca) 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 Weca, 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.
Although most buses are run by commercial bus companies, the authority provides live bus information under the travelWEST brand and pays for supported bus services on routes not commercially viable. Any move towards bus franchising — having a publicly run bus network like in London and Greater Manchester — would be led by the 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 stations — including reopening of the railway to Portishead.
The combined authority is supposed to lead coordination between its councils on housing strategy through a regional housing plan. But attempts to work together to draw up this plan have not been successful.
Who’s been Metro Mayor so far?
Conservative Tim Bowles was the holder of the title for the first four years of Weca.
Labour’s Dan Norris won the election in 2021. Since July 2024, he has also been MP for North East Somerset and Hanham.
Who wants to be Metro Mayor?
Six people are standing for the position. They are:
Arron Banks (Reform UK)
Helen Godwin (Labour)
Oli Henman (Liberal Democrat)
Mary Page (Green)
Ian Scott (Independent)
Steve Smith (Conservative)
What’s happening with Dan Norris ?
Norris, who was not standing for re-election, was arrested on April 4 on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl, rape, child abduction and misconduct in a public office.
Avon & Somerset police said most of the offences were alleged to have occurred in the 2000s, but officers were also investigating an alleged offence of rape from the 2020s.
Norris has been released on conditional bail while enquiries, which are still at an early stage, continue.
He has been suspended by the Labour Party and has been banned from the Parliamentary estate and the Weca offices in Bristol.