A councillor in Bath is hoping to be elected as the first Liberal Democrat metro mayor for the West of England.

Oli Henman has represented the Walcot area of Bath on Bath and North East Somerset Council (B&NES) since 2023 and works professionally as a coordinator helping community organisations become more sustainable.

It is a job which saw him address the UN General Assembly last year for its “Summit of the Future” action days last year.

Now he says he wants to use his experience to engage and involve local communities in the work the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) does — if elected as West of England Metro Mayor on May 1.

Mr Henman said: “I’m committed to cutting waste and red tape in the mayor’s office and putting power back where it belongs: in the hands of local communities. The West of England Mayor has a key role to play in delivering affordable and accessible transport, sustainable housing and the jobs of the future.

“The crucial funding available for transport must be better allocated. We have seen that funds for bus service improvement have been wasted on unnecessary gimmicks like the ‘birthday bus’ scheme. I want to ensure our communities are at the heart of decision making and that the region becomes more accessible for everyone.

“The West of England deserves leadership that listens, collaborates, and delivers for residents in these challenging times. Unlike the complacency of Labour and Conservative administrations, the Lib Dems have proven their ability to deliver locally, and I’m ready to bring that energy and focus as mayor.”

The West of England Combined Authority covers Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, and South Gloucestershire — and North Somerset is currently applying to join. It is run directly by the metro mayor, with leaders of the constituent councils also having a vote on some issues. Metro mayors are set to gain new powers under the government’s new devolution plans.

The Liberal Democrats are the last of the four main parties to announce their candidate — but the first to pick someone from outside Bristol. Former councillors on Bristol City Council, Helen Godwin and Steve Smith, are set to be the Labour and Conservative Candidates respectively.

Green candidate Mary Page is a Bristol-based activist who was a major figure in the successful campaign to scrap Bristol’s own directly elected mayor.

The current West of England Metro Mayor is Dan Norris, who since the 2024 general election, has also been the MP for North East Somerset and Hanham. Mr Norris said when elected as an MP that he would “do both jobs” — at least up until this already scheduled election.

But the Labour Party has made it clear that MPs should not have such second jobs and he will be standing down at this election. Mr Henman said that whether he would carry on as Walcot councillor if elected as metro mayor would be a matter to discuss with his party.