News / Bristol
Metro mayor race: the final leg
As Bristol prepares to head to the polls for the inaugural West of England mayoral elections on Thursday, bookies are predicting a two-horse race between the Tories and Lib Dems.
The Labour and independent candidates are also both putting up a fierce fight for the position as they pound the streets in a final efforts to gain support and – perhaps most crucially – encourage people to turn out and vote on Thursday (May 4).
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The person who wins the metro mayor contest will preside over a £1bn budget, with powers over transport, housing, planning and education for the Greater Bristol region, incorporating Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire councils.
Currently, bookmakers have Lib Dem Stephen Williams and Conservative candidate Tim Bowles as the front runners, followed by Labour’s Lesley Mansell and independent candidate John Savage.
The Green Party’s Darren Hall appears to be lagging behind the favourites, while Aaron Foot of UKIP brings up the rear, with odds of 100/1.
But unpredictability comes as no surprise of late and the elections for the brand new role are as yet an unknown quantity as all candidates continue to hit the campaign trail hard with the hopes of gaining victory.
Savage this week announced his intention to abolish the name ‘metro mayor’ – altogether if he is successful in securing a position he believes is the “most important role in our region.”
The colloquial term was coined soon after authorities agreed a devolution deal for the region, but Savage argues it is wrong and says it is damaging to voters to focus on the name rather than the huge power and opportunity in the role.
Each candidate has put forward their vision for the region at Bristol24/7’s hustings and we will keep you up to date with the latest news and results on election day.
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Read more: Countdown to the metro mayor elections
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