Lack of big name in Labour’s bid for metro mayor ‘surprising’

The chair of Bristol Labour has said she is surprised that a candidate with more “clout” has not come forward to represent the party in the election of a metro mayor for Greater Bristol.

The Labour Party announced its shortlist of three relatively unknown members for the new role which would have responsibility for £1 billion of investment and a range of new powers over housing, transport and education.

The election takes place in May next year. The Conservatives are favourites to win but should face tough opposition from Labour. Former Labour secretary of state Andy Burnham is running for the position in Manchester.

Eileen Means, who represents the Labour membership in Bristol, said: “We are quite perplexed about it. We got the three constituencies in Bristol in the general election in 2015 and in May we elected Marvin Rees as mayor as the whole council turned red.

“It’s quite a surprise that somebody better known hasn’t decided to give it a shot. It’s a big job with a lot of clout and influence.”

She also added that members across Bristol had expressed their disappointment that the process to elect the Labour Party candidate was not more democratic.

Labour Party members will choose from three shortlisted candidates to pick their official nomination. The candidates are:

– Karl Brown, 41, a commercial property solicitor who lives in Ashley Down and is a former president of the Bristol junior chamber of trade

– Lesley Mansell, a parish councillor in Westfield and Peasedown and a trade unionist member of the Corbyn-supporting grassroots organisation Momentum

– Robin Moss, 59, a former cabinet councillor in Bristol who is now leader of the Labour group on Bath and North East Somerset council who runs a charity in Keynsham

Means said she put her name forward to be considered for the job, but was “deselected” by the regional party, alongside Ian Scott, a councillor on South Gloucestershire Council.

“My job is to represent Labour members in Bristol,” she told Bristol24/7. She added: “There were five people put forward and it is only truly democratic if members vote on all five.

“At the moment there’s a lot of confusion as to why all the candidates are not on the ballot. That’s what the membership are saying.”

She said the decision by Labour’s south west office to remove to names was another blow to internal trust in the party following splits in the summer and a round of an estimated 280 suspensions.

“The party was starting to come together after the leadership election. In the past few weeks we were making progress to focus on the metro mayor. But this is somewhat divisive again.”

A spokesperson for Labour South West said: “The Labour Party has undergone a fair process and followed a timetable laid out by Labour’s National Executive Committee.

“Candidates were shortlisted by a panel made up of representative from the South West Regional Board and Labour’s NEC, following nominations from local parties. The shortlisted candidates will now go forward to a postal ballot of all members in the Bristol, BANES and South Gloucestershire areas.”

Read more: Who is running for the other parties?