News / Politics
Arron Banks to donate salary to charity and claim no expenses if elected as metro mayor
Arron Banks, Reform UK’s mayoral candidate for the West of England, has announced that he will donate his salary to charity if elected.
He announced this on X on Monday and, in the same post, also said: “As a successful businessman I know how to bring investment, innovation & dynamism to the region. People are fed up of politicians who have never had a proper job!
“Most Lib Dems, Labour & Greens have no real business experience. I could do the job better – working one day a week!”
He also claimed that current mayor Dan Norris had spent £1.8m on PR and had spent taxpayer money on visits to the Paris Airshow and Monaco.
The X announcement was in response to Liberal Democrat’s candidate Oli Henman tweeting: “Polls put Lib Dems top in South of England. I am not offering more of the same – I’m ready to shake up WECA and ensure a more accountable approach.
“I’ve worked with community engagement for years and am ready to open things up. Hope not hate!”
On Friday, Reform UK announced the businessman as their candidate for mayor of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), which includes Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, and South Gloucestershire.
Banks has been a controversial figure in the past – he is mainly known for being the co-founder of the Leave EU campaign with fellow Reform UK politician Richard Tice, a campaign he donated £8m to.
Previously, he has been one of the largest donors to UKIP.
Banks has also encountered legal issues; in 2019, his Bristol-based insurance company Eldon Insurance and the Leave EU campaign were fined £120,000 for breaches in data law.
At the Reform rally where his candidacy was announced, Banks admitted that he was really unpopular in Bristol but claimed that the election was a “five-way race” that Reform could win if the vote was split.
The other candidates are Helen Godwin (Labour), Mary Page (Green Party), Oli Henman (Liberal Democrats), Ian Scott (Independent) and Steve Smith (Conservatives).
The election for WECA mayor will take place May 1.
A previous version of this article was published without Bristol24/7’s usual fact-checking. Bristol24/7 understands that Dan Norris has not visited Monaco and has never been to the Paris Airshow. Bristol24/7 has also not been able to verify Banks’ claim that Norris spent £1.8m on PR. We do apologise for any misunderstanding.
Main photo: Reform UK
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