Bristol voters are spoilt for choice as they consider who should become their first directly-elected mayor.

Candidate Craig Clarke is standing as the candidate of The State Educated Party, and wants to ban anyone who attended an independent school from holding a public-sector job.

Only those educated in the state sector would be allowed to become teachers, doctors or judges.

Then there’s architect George Ferguson, standing as an independent, who wants to bring his expertise to bear on the city’s buildings. Ladbrokes are giving odds of 2-1 on him winning, making him second favourite behind the Labour candidate, Marvin Rees.

Mr Rees, half-Jamaican and half-Welsh, grew up in a poor family in one of Bristol’s deprived neighbourhoods, according to an interview he gave to his local paper. He ended up working with deprived young people as an official with a local Christian charity.

He may be the candidate of a major party but he’s not your typical politician, having seen off challenges from leading local councillors and a former MP to win the nomination. Mr Rees has never held elected office.

So that’s a taste of how the mayoral election is shaping up so far in Bristol, the only city to vote “yes” to an elected mayor in the May referendums.

I’m not sure I fancy Mr Clarke’s chances – Ladbrokes are offering odds of 200-1 on a State Educated Party victory – but there are some credible candidates who represent a break with the norm.

On the other hand, we may also be witnessing an example of Birmingham standing up for itself very successfully under the present system, as Birmingham Airport steams ahead with its campaign to win backing for its expansion plans.

The debate in the national media, until very recently at least, has been about whether or not to build a third runway at Heathrow.

But Birmingham has impressed Ministers with its campaign arguing that regional airports can take the strain instead.

The Government’s aviation strategy could prove to be very interesting indeed when it’s published later this year.