News / Politics
Tony Dyer: ‘This is a reset’
Bristol City Council has previously had a bumpy ride in its relationship with WECA.
But council leader Tony Dyer says that having Helen Godwin as the new mayor of the West of England is an opportunity for a “reset”.
“It’s an opportunity to progress some of the work we’ve been doing recently,” Dyer told Bristol24/7.
is needed now More than ever
“As you know, we were under a Best Value Notice. We’ve now had that lifted.
“And I think Helen has made it very clear that she’s committed to working cross-party and cross-boundary.”
Dyer, a Green, said the announcement of Bath & North East Somerset Lib Dem leader Kevin Guy as deputy mayor to Labour’s Godwin “is a perfect example of that”.
“It’s a pivotal moment for her to come in as the West of England Combined Authority mayor, particularly with all the devolution taking place at this moment.
“So I think it is a reset and I think it’s looking positively towards the future rather than spending too much time looking at the past.”
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Read more: Godwin reveals deputy as she officially becomes West of England mayor
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In an alternative universe, the Green Party mayoral challenger Mary Page could now be holding the top job at WECA HQ in Redcliffe.
So was Dyer disappointed that the region did not elect a Green mayor?
“You’re always going to be disappointed when your party doesn’t win,” Dyer said.
“Mary ran an excellent campaign given the limited resources we had available.
“But I think we now have our elections over. We have now got the West of England Combined Authority mayor for the next four years.
“And I think she’s already made a good start in terms of the progress that all of us across the region want to make for the future.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
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