Ex Wills boy wants to be Bristol Metro Mayor

Former Bristol MP Stephen Williams has been officially selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the newly created post of Mayor of the West of England.

Williams, who graduated from Bristol University in 1988, served in Parliament for 10 years until May 2015 when he was unceremoniously dumped following Nick Clegg’s reversal on university tuition fees.

Could this man be the first metro mayor of Bristol?

According to a report by Bristol 24/7, Williams was selected following a series of party hustings and a vote among local members, beating former Bristol lord mayor Simon Cook for the nomination.

Commenting on the announcement, Williams told Lib Dem members that it was an: “Honour to be selected” and that: “I am determined to win this election and deliver real change for people in the West of England.”

All these people need to turn up and vote

The news follows Williams’ speech at Monday’s anti-Trump rally on College Green in which he claimed: “What he [President Trump] is doing in government is really evil”.

Sam Head, President of the UoB Lib Dem Society, commented that: “Stephen would be a great candidate because of not only his distinguished political career furnishing him with a broad range of experience but also his capacity to appeal to a diverse electorate across the electoral region.”

Williams lost his seat to Thangam Debbonaire at the last election

In an an interview with The Tab two years ago, Williams was asked what his ideal super power would be and replied: “I would have secret water jets so that I could extinguish people’s cigarettes.”

He was the first openly gay Liberal Democrat elected to Parliament and prior to politics worked as a chartered tax adviser.