Great Western Coffee Shop

So all the issues he will promise till he stands down next year(2025)won't carry much weight.

https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2024-09-23/metro-mayor-dan-norris-not-able-to-stand-next-year

I'm not sure I would agree that conclusion.    He had weight "X" as mayor,  to which he added weight "Y" as an an MP.  Chances are he will nominate / support another labour candidate for mayor ... and whilst the weight won't total X+Y, I suspect it might not be far short.  If issues he promises are aligned regionally with labour and government strategy, there's something of a strength there.

I do wonder if the greens have a shot at this.

No incumbent, they weren't that far away in 2021 and have had a pretty big boast in the area (obviously getting an MP in Bristol central, but also doing very well in some of the other local constituencies and obviously did well in the Bristol council elections too).

Whilst WECA is a lot more than just Bristol, I'd expect low turnout and a general dissatisfaction at Labour (both locally aimed at Rees and Norris, and nationally given the government are having to make some hard decisions that will upset people) to help the greens more than anyone else.

that's certainly a possibility if they choose a known candidate.


Not quite the same analogy, Dan - a cabinet minister is still working within Government.

I suspect it rather depends on whether North Somerset joins WECA (see https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/north-somerset-interested-in-joining-weca/ (https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/north-somerset-interested-in-joining-weca/)).

They are apparently keen, but I'd imagine it would stack the odds in the favour of a Conservative candidate, and on those grounds Labour in Westminster might be inclined to drag their heals somewhat.

Without North Somerset I'd have thought a Green Mayor was quite plausible - in the first round Jerome Thomas got 21.7% in 2021 vs 33.4% for Dan Norris.

Posting from a local perspective, I'm not convinced.  ::)

In the most recent council elections, our traditional Conservative majority were annihilated, and in the recent general election, our Conservative MP of 32 years was unseated by Labour.

That's maybe why North Somerset Council are now apparently rather more receptive to the possibility of joining WECA, without having any Conservative candidate on their agenda?

Chris from Nailsea.  ;)