00:00It's official the West of England has a new Metro Mayor.
00:05Labour's Helen Goodwin has been elected to lead the Weka region
00:09after narrowly defeating Reform UK's Aaron Banks
00:13in one of the most closely watched races of the night.
00:17Voters across Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset
00:22went to the polls from 7 in the morning on Thursday 1st May
00:27with six candidates in the running.
00:29It was a packed field but by the early hours of 2 May, just after 4, the result was clear.
00:36Helen Goodwin took the win with just over 51,000 votes.
00:41Aaron Banks wasn't far behind with around 45,000 votes.
00:45The Green Party's Mary Page came third with a strong showing,
00:50over 41,000 votes across the region and in Bristol itself the Greens actually came second.
00:56The new Metro Mayor takes on a powerful role created through devolution
01:03to bring more control over key issues like transport, housing, training and jobs
01:09back to the region and away from Westminster.
01:13Goodwin succeeds Labour's Dan Norris who did not stand again
01:17after being elected MP for Hannum and North East Somerset.
01:22New Labour Party rules prevent MPs from holding the mayoral role
01:26and Mr Norris has also been suspended from the party following a recent arrest.
01:32It was a night that showed growing competition across the region
01:36but for now Labour holds on to the mayoral authority.
01:40Helen Goodwin now faces the challenge of turning her win into real change.
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