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Weca mayoral elections: What you need to know

Claire Cavanagh
Reporter
Reporting fromBBC News, Bristol
Reuters A woman carrying a pot plant wearing a denim jacket and sunglasses and with long blond hair passes a sign for a polling station on a white piece of paper with the print in black taped to a brick wall. Reuters
Voters get the chance to go to the polls on 1 May to elect a new mayor for WECA

Voters will be able to pick their next leader for regional authority that controls everything from transport to housing.

On 1 May, people will go to the polling stations to select the new mayor of the West of England Combined Authority (Weca).

Since 2017, two people have held the post: Conservative Tim Bowles and Labour's Dan Norris, who is also now the MP for Hanham and North East Somerset.

Under new rules introduced by his party, Mr Norris was not allowed to keep his second job and therefore cannot stand again.

What does Weca do?

The role was created as part of a devolution deal giving more decision-making to English regions rather than focusing power in Westminster alone.

Weca takes in the local authority areas of Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset (Banes) and South Gloucestershire and it is tasked with improving public transport, training and job opportunities, and supporting businesses.

It also oversees the region's housing plans.

Getty Images Some of Bristol distinctive multi-coloured Victorian-era houses arranged in terraced streets in Totterdown are viewed from the air.Getty Images
The Weca mayor is responsible for overseeing housing in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset

Who can vote?

You can vote if you meet the following criteria and are on the electoral register:

  • You live in Bristol, South Gloucestershire or Bath and North East Somerset
  • You are 18 or over on the day of the election

The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Friday 11 April, while the deadline to apply for a postal vote is 17:00 BST on Monday 14 April.

The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 17:00 on Wednesday 23 April.

Who are the candidates?

The candidates who have so far declared they are standing in the election, in alphabetical order:

  • Arron Banks, Reform
  • Helen Godwin, Labour
  • Oli Henman, Liberal Democrat
  • Mary Page, Green Party
  • Ian Scott, Independent
  • Steve Smith, Conservative and Unionist Party

There is a deadline of Wednesday for other nominations before the election on 1 May.

What challenges will they face?

Weca's most recent administration, led by Dan Norris, was controversial at times, with leaders of councils sometimes refusing to take part in meetings amid accusations of a "toxic culture".

Mr Norris denied the claims and said he was "strong and assertive" when he needed to be.

The authority was put into special measures between March 2024 to February 2025 after an auditor's report criticised in-fighting among local leaders and senior officers.

The next mayor will have a range of challenges to address including tackling late-running buses and boosting jobs in the region.

PA Media Dan Norris, the Mayor for the West of England Combined Authority (Weca) hugs someone after an election count. He's surrounded by photographers. PA Media
Mr Norris is the Weca mayor standing down as he is now an MP

And, since the beginning of Weca, there has been a problem with identity and voters understanding why there is more than one layer of local government.

It is maybe a little less complex now Bristol no longer has an elected mayor, but, even so, it is not always clear to voters.

It was a problem for former Prime Minister Boris Johnson on a visit to the west of England in 2021, when he could not name the then West of England Mayor Tim Bowles.

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