An important election in the west of England is coming up on May 1st. On that date, the mayor for the region will be elected. A candidate is the Conservative Party’s Steve Smith, who aims to enhance the West of England Combined Authority (WECA).
WECA’s Leadership: A Region at Stake
The authority-incorporated areas for WECA include Bristol, Bath, North-East Somerset, BANES, and South Glos, bringing it key importance in the decisions made during the elections. The election will impact this major local authority.
From Local Councillor to Mayoral Aspirant
The candidate for the mayor position, along with his other roles, was a Conservative councillor for Westbury-on-Trym and includes Henleaze in Bristol, as Smith is immensely skilled in local governance. He also served as the Lord Mayor of Bristol, meaning that he knows a lot regarding the workings of the city. Bristol is the city where Smith resided for over 20 years, making him know its culture and environment so well. He shares with a smile that one condition of marrying his wife was him living in Bristol.
A Summary of Community Engagement Activities
Prior to his foray into politics, Smith was the Young Bristol charity’s CEO. He describes a formative period of engagement with the Bristol City Council as the catalyst for his budding passion for local politics. At this moment, he is operating a consultancy company where he helps clients compete for public sector contracts.
“Fixing the Mess”: A Primary Campaign Focus
Smith’s main campaign focus is on correcting what he considers to be “a mess” in the current WECA administration. As a response, he argues that the authority “is just not working” and uses this claim to justify the lack of government investment in the region’s economy. This criticism comes after Weca was recently let out of special measures by the previous Conservative government, and while there is public sparring between the sitting mayor and council leaders.
A Balance of All Aspects of Administration
Smith plans to devote resources towards “getting the basics right” as a primary policy focus. He describes current bus and bike lane allocation debates within local councils as unhelpful and frames his policies around a “massive increase” to local rail service and bus routes.
North Somerset’s Potential Inclusion
Both North Somerset’s inclusion into WECA and other regions are primary concerns for this election. North Somerset turned down the possibility of joining the authority when it was offered in 2017. This change in leadership in North Somerset Council seems to be the very thing that was needed for the county to consider its inclusion. Smith is aware that Bristol is about half of the population of WECA and thinks that North Somerset coming in “ought to happen,” but adds the decision has to be with the council and the people.
Housing policy: a point of contention
The labor government’s housing policy that puts restrictions on house-building activities in Bristol but raises the limit in Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire is something Smith is strongly opposed to. He says that he intends to come up with what he refers to as a radical brownfield site first policy when it comes to planning to propose to construct on previously used land.
A Vision for Change: Smith’s Mayoral Aspirations
Combating change is the focal point of Steve Smith’s campaign, working to accomplish it through practical approaches. As with many earlier candidates, his focus on improving transport systems, housing policy reform, and addressing what he sees as WECA’s operational failures incorporates pillars that promise to be beneficial for the electorate. Smith’s vision for the region will be tested against the electorate sandbox come May 1st.
