Labour mayor ‘thrilled’ to win close Reform race

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% of the votes, Reform claimed 22.1%, while the Green party secured 20%.

Ms Godwin said she was “excited” to begin the “important role”. Meanwhile, Arron Banks said there was a “tidal wave” of support for Reform UK.

“I really want to get going,” Ms Godwin said.

“I’m a little bit tired, I need some more time with the children to celebrate.”

She said that despite it being a close race between Labour and Reform, she is “really pleased” with the result.

“It gives us work to do, we have to find a way to speak to everybody but I’m really happy with the outcome,” Ms Godwin said.

She added that the result was “always going to be close, we knew that”.

Green Party candidate Mary Page told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (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.

“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, he 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