The West of England’s self-proclaimed “more visible” Metro Mayor, who mysteriously vanished from public view as soon as he was sworn in, has revealed what he was up to after he got elected and became invisible. Following Guido’s campaign to find Dan Norris after he was elected, a Freedom of Information (FoI) response confirms the rumours over what happened to the Mayor during his unexplained disappearance. He stayed online and went on holiday. 

Despite Norris claiming he’d be a mayor who would “gets things done“, and his press team insisting he had a “packed diary” (a diary of meetings which they also initially refused to reveal), the FoI shows a remarkably light schedule for a man who made such bold promises during his campaign:

Monday, 10 May
TV interviews with Good Morning Britain, and then local ITV and BBC in the evening. The Mayor also spoke to Radio Bristol. Was officially sworn in and attended a legal briefing.
In addition he met with Combined Authority staff via Zoom.

Tuesday, 11 May
He made phone calls and replied to correspondence.

Wednesday, 12 May
He met with the three local Council leaders.

He didn’t actually meet them, it was a conference call:

Today's #BristolMayorAgenda 📆 includes:

– #Covid19 city leaders call
– Weekly interview on @BCfmRadio
– Call with @VoteDanNorris, @WestOfEnglandCA
– Call with @CllrKevinGuy, @BathNES
– Call with Cllr Don Davies, @NorthSomersetC

— Marvin Rees (@MarvinJRees) May 12, 2021

Thursday, 13 May
He attended a “Meet the Mayor” Stakeholder Event via Zoom.

Online.

Certainly a few phone calls and Zoom meetings, all of which can be made from any sunny locale in the British Isles. The meeting with “the three local Council leaders” might’ve given Norris a decent alibi – had the tweet from Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees not completely blown his cover…