Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees considering running for MP

Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees is considering running for MP in the next general election.

Mr Rees' second term as mayor finishes in May 2024 and the post will then be abolished.

Citizens voted in a referendum in May to scrap the office and switch to a committee-run council.

Mr Rees had already signalled his intention to step down at the end of his second term, but now a career in Westminster may be on the cards.

He said he felt there was a "little bit more in my political journey".

Bristol may get a fifth MP at the next election as the Boundary Commission has proposed creating a new Bristol North East constituency.

When asked by BBC Radio Bristol about whether he would consider standing in the new seat, the mayor said he would "throw his hat into the ring".

Mr Rees said: "I would admit that after talking to my family, I do kind of feel that there's a little bit more in my political journey.

"If there's an opportunity to step into politics in Parliament and do something for Bristol, and do something for the country and the world, then if people choose me, then yeah I'll throw my hat into the ring."

He continued: "For me it's about politics in Bristol - the fact that the boundary review does create a space in Bristol, a platform in Bristol, to do more work with Bristol is an incredibly interesting alignment of events."

The next general election must be held before January 2025, five years after the previous one, but the government is expected to call one earlier than that.

General elections in the UK are usually held in the spring.

Additional reporting by Tess de la Mare

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