> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://bristol-uncovered.uk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# WECA Winners - Labour, Liberal Democrats and Reform
- URL: https://bristol-uncovered.uk/weca-winners-labour-liberal-democrats-and-reform/
- Published: 2025-05-03T14:18:25.000Z
- Updated: 2025-05-04T09:35:22.000Z
- Author: Chris McEvoy

Helen Godwin (Labour) has won the contest for the **W**est of **E**ngland **C**ombined **A**uthority.

WECA is made of of three regions: Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

The winners in each region was: Bristol - **Labour**, BANES - **Liberal Democrats**, South Glos - **Reform**

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/7e/00/7e00f3c6-351e-48d6-a922-14b85820294b/content/images/2025/05/image.png)

Here are the voting results for each region.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/7e/00/7e00f3c6-351e-48d6-a922-14b85820294b/content/images/2025/05/WECA-Votes-Percent.png)

And here are the number of votes.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/7e/00/7e00f3c6-351e-48d6-a922-14b85820294b/content/images/2025/05/image-1.png)

### The Candidates

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/7e/00/7e00f3c6-351e-48d6-a922-14b85820294b/content/images/2025/05/WECA-Candidates.png)

From left to right (not in a political sense):

- [Aaron Banks](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4ge15xmv0ro?ref=bristol-uncovered.uk) \- Reform - *he claimed that "Bristol is really corrupt"*
- [Steve Smith](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgkmv2ldrgzo?ref=bristol-uncovered.uk)\- Conservative - *when he proposed to his wife she said she would "only marry him if he lived in Bristol"*
- [Helen Godwin](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y0n228wldo?ref=bristol-uncovered.uk) \- Labour - *"My first priority is getting buses working better so people can get to work on time."*
- [Mary Page](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c789pj9lv7go?ref=bristol-uncovered.uk) \- Green - *she is keen to look at how the authority invests in adult skills*
- [Oli Henman](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8rkz0756v8o?ref=bristol-uncovered.uk) \- Liberal Democrat - *he wants to "create meaningful and quality" jobs in the green sector*
- [Ian Scott](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4ge15xmv0ro?ref=bristol-uncovered.uk) \- Independent - *he paid the £5,000 entrance fee out of his Post Office pension and with less than 5% of the vote he failed to get his deposit back*

You can see the full [report page on BU](https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiNmY0MWUwMzUtMjdiNS00MWI3LThiMzQtMzk4MjAzOGU4NmFmIiwidCI6IjFmNzcyZmI5LTg4NDAtNGEyYS04N2M0LTM1YWM5OGNjZjZkOSJ9&ref=bristol-uncovered.uk).

### Other Voices

- John Langley - [Has the Political Pendulum Finally Met Its Match?](https://www.thealmightygob.com/p/has-the-political-pendulum-finally?ref=bristol-uncovered.uk)
- Hannah Miller - [The stats behind the votes](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cly1xz3y8yxt?post=asset%3A3d089e34-7633-4561-b840-c70e1fc9d4a7&ref=bristol-uncovered.uk#post)
- Bristol Cable - [Meet the candidates (and the chaos)](https://thebristolcable.org/2025/04/meet-the-candidates-for-west-of-england-mayor/?ref=bristol-uncovered.uk)
- Mike Frost - ["This is petty bureaucracy gone mad. It is the rot of our democracy."](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y4w8qn1j7o?ref=bristol-uncovered.uk)
- Thom Oliver - [Do we now have a mayor without a mandate?](https://www.bristol247.com/opinion/your-say/do-we-now-have-mayor-without-mandate/?ref=bristol-uncovered.uk)
- Ian Simpson - [Are we going to see Mayors elected with even lower levels of public support in 2025?](https://electoral-reform.org.uk/are-we-going-to-see-mayors-elected-with-even-lower-levels-of-public-support-in-2025/?ref=bristol-uncovered.uk)
- John Curtice - [The map that shows Reform's triumph was much more than a protest vote](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yg467m8mjo?ref=bristol-uncovered.uk)