It’s official — the West of England has a new Metro Mayor. Labour’s Helen Godwin has been elected to lead the Weca region, after narrowly defeating Reform UK’s Arron Banks in one of the most closely watched races of the night.
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00:00It's official the West of England has a new Metro Mayor.
00:05Labour's Helen Goodwin has been elected to lead the Weka region
00:09after narrowly defeating Reform UK's Aaron Banks
00:13in one of the most closely watched races of the night.
00:17Voters across Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset
00:22went to the polls from 7 in the morning on Thursday 1st May
00:27with six candidates in the running.
00:29It was a packed field but by the early hours of 2 May, just after 4, the result was clear.
00:36Helen Goodwin took the win with just over 51,000 votes.
00:41Aaron Banks wasn't far behind with around 45,000 votes.
00:45The Green Party's Mary Page came third with a strong showing,
00:50over 41,000 votes across the region and in Bristol itself the Greens actually came second.
00:56The new Metro Mayor takes on a powerful role created through devolution
01:03to bring more control over key issues like transport, housing, training and jobs
01:09back to the region and away from Westminster.
01:13Goodwin succeeds Labour's Dan Norris who did not stand again
01:17after being elected MP for Hannum and North East Somerset.
01:22New Labour Party rules prevent MPs from holding the mayoral role
01:26and Mr Norris has also been suspended from the party following a recent arrest.
01:32It was a night that showed growing competition across the region
01:36but for now Labour holds on to the mayoral authority.
01:40Helen Goodwin now faces the challenge of turning her win into real change.