LABOUR have seen off a challenge by Reform UK to hold on to the West of England.
Helen Godwin (above) was elected West of England Mayor with 51,197 votes, leaving Reform UK’s Arron Banks a close second place with 45,252 votes.
Ms Godwin told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “It was always going to be close, we knew that.”
Mr Banks said: “This was our least likely place to win and we came up 6,000 votes short. There is a tidal wave going on in the UK at the moment.
“We have seen Reform victory after Reform victory. It looks like Bristol liked Banksy after all. And we beat the Greens.”
The Greens HAD hoped to ride a wave of recent electoral success in Bristol, where last year the party took control of the council and its co-leader Carla Denyer won Bristol Central in the general election. Although the Greens were only about 2,500 votes behind Labour in Bristol itself, the party came third overall with 41,094 votes.
Green candidate Mary Page said: “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 I stepped up.”
She said: “In 2027, South Gloucestershire and Bath have both got elections and in 2028 Bristol has. So Labour and Reform, we are not going anywhere.”
Turnout in the election was 30%, with 205,557 ballots received from a total electorate of 682,951. It’s a drop from the 2021 election’s turnout of 36.61%, but that was held at the same time as the Bristol City Council elections.
Ms Godwin said: “It genuinely is the honour of my life to be your new West of England Mayor.”
The metro mayor heads the West of England Combined Authority, which is responsible for improving transport across the region and attracting and delivering major investment. The role is set to become more powerful under the Labour government’s English devolution plans.
The full result was:
Arron Banks (Reform UK): 45,252
Helen Godwin (Labour): 51,197
Oli Henman (Liberal Democrat): 28,711
Mary Page (Green): 41,094
Ian Scott (Independent): 4,682
Steve Smith (Conservative): 34,092
John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporting Service
Pictured, below, the candidates (left to right) Arron Banks (Reform UK), Steve Smith (Conservative), Helen Godwin (Labour), Mary Page (Green), Oli Henman (Liberal Democrat), and Ian Scott (Independent)
