8 candidates vying to take Rees’ place as Bristol mayor revealed

EIGHT candidates are vying to take the place of Marvin Rees, picture top left, as Bristol’s next elected mayor.

Mr Rees has led Bristol City Council since 2016, and is again contesting the position on May 6.

Nominations closed on Thursday and the confirmed list of candidates has now been published.

All nine candidates are listed below.

■ Tom Baldwin – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Tom Baldwin is no stranger to mayoral elections having stood twice before in Bristol.

He describes himself as an “anticuts activist” and is standing on an anti-austerity platform.

■ Sean Donnelly – Independent Sean Donnelly is a pub owner from Bishopsworth who has fought against coronavirus restrictions and is no stranger to controversy.

The landlord of the Three Lions pub in Bedminster was fined £1,000 for breaching Covid-19 regulations last year and told staff the year before not to serve anyone on Remembrance Sunday unless they were wearing a poppy.

■ Dr Caroline Gooch – Liberal Democrats

Dr Caroline Gooch is a medical science consultant who is flying the flag for the Bristol Lib Dems’ “scrap the mayor” campaign.

She replaced Mary Page, who dropped out of the mayoral race for personal reasons late last year.

Dr Gooch is campaigning for a “greener, fairer and more caring Bristol”, according to her Twitter account @ScrapTheMayorLD.

■ Sandy Hore-Ruthven – Green Party

Sandy Hore-Ruthven is the chief executive of Creative Youth Network, a large charity supporting vulnerable young people in the South West.

He says he has an economic recovery plan to help Bristol “recover, then thrive” and has promised to build 2,000 new council homes by 2030.

On his website, he invites voters to “join me for a fairer and greener city”.

■

John Langley is a former porn producer and is otherwise known by his professional name Johnny Rockard.

He has a long history in Bristol’s political scene and has previously stood to be a Bristol City councillor and MP for the city. This is his second attempt for mayor as he also stood in the 2016 race.

Mr Langley threw his hat in the ring before last year’s mayoral elections were postponed because of Covid.

At that time, he criticised City Hall’s “corporatism” and promised to make Bristol “fully inclusive” and fight for the rights of people

John Langley – Independent

who live in poverty, the elderly, those with special needs, the homeless and the marginalised.

■ Marvin Rees – Labour Party Incumbent Marvin Rees was elected in 2016 on a ticket of promising to build more homes in the city.

If re-elected, Mr Rees has pledged to build 2,000 new homes each year, with at least 1,000 affordable, by 2024.

Alongside housing, Mr Rees is focusing on jobs and opportunities for young people as his key election pledges.

During the last five years, his administration has faced numerous challenges, including ongoing austerity, the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit.

■ Alastair Watson is a former city councillor and Lord Mayor of Bristol.

Described as an “experienced businessman” and “keen environmentalist” by the Tories, he is promising to improve transport links and increase the number of affordable homes in the city, while “guiding Bristol back to post-Covid normality”.

He has also pledged to achieve “ambitious environment improvements”.

“My vision for Bristol is to have a vibrant economy, better quality of life and great opportunities for all citizens,” a press release announcing his selection said.

■ Robert Clarke of Reform UK and independent Oska Shaw are also standing – no information about their campaigns was available last night.

My vision for Bristol is to have a vibrant economy ALASTAIR WATSON