News / Politics
Oli Henman launches Lib Dem campaign for WECA mayor
Oli Henman, a councillor for Bath & North East Somerset, was announced as the Liberal Democrat candidate for mayor of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) in January.
However, on Saturday Henman officially kicked off his campaign at the Louisiana, on Wapping Road.
He was joined by dozens of supporters including the leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, Lib Dem councillor Kevin Guy; Dine Romero, another Lib Dem councillor in Bath & North East Somerset; Claire Young, the Lib Dem MP for Thornbury and Yate and Baroness Barbara Janke, the former Lib Dem leader of Bristol City Council.
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Claire Young reminded supporters that, as the WECA mayoral election was likely to be a “low turnout election, anything could happen”.
Oli Henman launched his metro mayor campaign at the Louisiana
Also in attendance were Bristol Lib Dem councillors, Tim Kent and Sarah Classick, both councillors for Hengrove and Whitchurch Park.
At the launch event, Henman promised to “bring much greater visibility to the West of England and ensure we are once again an economic powerhouse for the jobs of the future”.
He added: “At the centre of my vision is the need to provide new opportunities for prosperity for people across the region.
“Over recent years, many people have felt let down.
“The West of England Mayor should be driving forward opportunities to train up the next generation, including investment in renewable energy, engineering, the tech sector and net zero construction.
“I will call for bold steps to provide opportunities for local businesses and for our young people, so that we leave no-one behind.
“I will work with local businesses, colleges and engineering companies to create career opportunities in the industries of the future.”
He concluded by saying that, with Lib Dems at the heart of WECA, the West Country would look forward to a “fairer, greener and brighter future”.
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Many of the Lib Dems who attended Saturday’s launch event were frustrated by the current metro mayor, Labour’s Dan Norris.
Kevin Guy, the leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, said “the West of England Combined Authority is the worst performing combined authority in the entire country” and placed the blame for this with Dan Norris.
He said, pointing to the Birthday Bus wrap scandal, that WECA currently has a “regional mayor who has purely been about his own promotion”.
Baroness Barbara Janke added that the current mayor was “lacking in ambition”.
When Henman was asked – to much laughter – whether he had a dog, clearly in reference to Dan Norris’ dog Angel, he responded that he was “more of a cat person”.
In 2024, when asked ‘What is the point of you as metro mayor’ by a Bristol24/7 reader, Dan Norris said: “As mayor, I work to get the best for local residents. In the last three years, I’ve secured record sums for transport for our region and delivered a £60m Green Recovery Fund – a key manifesto commitment of mine. I’ve (also) kickstarted a retrofit revolution by introducing Retrofit West – and helped secure £90m for Temple Quarter which is Europe’s biggest regeneration project.”
Lib Dem candidate Oli Henman said, if elected as mayor, he would “call for bold steps to provide opportunities for local businesses and for our young people”
Dan Norris will not be running as the Labour candidate for WECA mayor in the 2025 election as he was recently elected as the Labour MP for North East Somserset & Hanham. Labour rules ban second jobs in elected office.
Instead, the Labour metro mayor candidate will be former Bristol cabinet member Helen Godwin.
Meanwhile, former Westbury-on-Trym & Henleaze councillor Steve Smith is the Conservative candidate.
The Greens initially announced deputy Bristol council leader Heather Mack as their candidate but have confirmed that former Lib Dem Bristol mayoral candidate, Mary Page, will now stand for WECA mayor in Mack’s place.
The 2025 WECA mayoral election will take place on May 1.
All photos: Seun Matiluko
Read next:
- Oli Henman announced as Lib Dem candidate for WECA mayor
- Helen Godwin is Labour’s metro mayor candidate for 2025 election
- Steve Smith is Conservative candidate for metro mayor
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