| Election Name: | 2025 West of England election |
| Type: | Mayoral |
| Ongoing: | yes |
| Previous Election: | 2021 West of England mayoral election |
| Previous Year: | 2021 |
| Next Election: | 2029 West of England mayoral election |
| Next Year: | 2029 |
| Election Date: | 1 May 2025 |
| Candidate1: | Helen Godwin |
| Party1: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Last Election1: | 33.4% |
| Candidate2: | Steve Smith |
| Party2: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Last Election2: | 28.6% |
| Candidate4: | Heather Mack |
| Party4: | Green Party of England and Wales |
| Last Election4: | 21.7% |
| Party5: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| Last Election5: | 16.3% |
| Map Size: | 300px |
| Mayor | |
| Posttitle: | Elected mayor |
| Before Election: | Dan Norris |
| Before Party: | Labour Party |
The 2025 West of England mayoral election will be held on the 1 May 2025 to elect the mayor of the West of England, on the same day as other local elections across the country. It will be the third election for the role. For the first time the mayor will be elected using the first-past-the-post voting system.
The West of England term has been used as a synonym for either south-west England or the former county of Avon which was abolished in 1996. The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) was created in 2017 as a statutory body which covers the local authority areas of Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset.[1] [2] It broadly resembles Avon, but excludes North Somerset because that council opposed joining the combined authority, although they collaborate on some projects.[3] [4] In October 2020, there were discussions around North Somerset joining the WECA in time for the May 2021 election,[5] [6] but councillors in Bristol voted down this proposal in early 2021.[7] The mayor of the West of England is the directly elected head of the WECA.[8] Under a devolution deal agreed in 2017, they have powers over a £30 million annual allocation from the government, to fund transport management, strategic planning of land and housing and adult education.
The election will use the voting system of first past the post to elect the mayor; in this system the candidate with the most votes wins. Previous elections for the mayor had used the supplementary vote system. The Electoral Reform Society described the change as lowering the bar for politicians and thus damaging British democracy.[9]
There were three candidates on the shortlist to become the Labour Party candidate:[10] [11]
On 21 November 2024 the Labour Party announced that Helen Godwin had been selected as its candidate.[12]
After a meeting on the 9th of November Conservative members selected Steve Smith a former Lord Mayor and Bristol City Councillor.[13] Other candidates included 2021 Conservative nominee Samuel Williams who was mistakenly identified as the nominee by Bristol Live prior to the selection meeting,[14] and former leader of South Gloucestershire Council Toby Savage.
There were two potential candidates for the Green Party:
On 20 November 2024 the Green Party announced that Heather Mack had been selected as its candidate.[16]