‘Bristol is ours, it’s not for a mayor to do whatever they want’

A one-time mayoral candidate and former Bristol mayor are two of the people behind an independent campaign to scrap the role at the upcoming referendum.

Mary Page was due to run as a Lib Dem candidate in 2020 on a ticket to change the system of governance in the city before Covid postponed the elections and she ultimately pulled out of the race.

Two years on and she returns to the political arena as the campaign organiser for It’s Our City Bristol, an organisation dedicated to convincing voters in the city to vote for a committee system rather than the mayoral model in the referendum on May 5.

Page has the support of former mayor George Ferguson – who has spoken out about his belief the role he held for four years should be scrapped – and says her campaign also has cross-party backing from the Tories, Lib Dems and Greens.

It’s Our City Bristol came to public attention in March with an argument that gained criticism from both sides of the debate by claiming that “as the mayor only lives in one place, he can’t realistically represent all of the different communities in Bristol”.

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But Page says the main arguments for her centre around democracy, collaborative decision-making and shared ownership of Bristol.

With just a month to go before voters head to the polls, she’s missing no opportunity to make sure her arguments are heard. Arriving at Society Café to meet Bristol24/7, Page promptly engages a member of staff in a discussion about the upcoming referendum and the pros of scrapping the mayoral model.

“This is about community politics, about collaboration and the way that people can and do work together,” says Page.

“It’s so important to say that committee working can be done to support the majority of people.”

It’s Our City Bristol describes itself as ‘the people’s campaign to scrap the mayor and bring back democracy in Bristol’. Page says the organisation was formed in the wake of several discussions with others from across the political spectrum seeking to abolish the mayoral model.

“It’s Our City Bristol is very much framing our arguments around that shared ownership of the city’s resources, the fact that community spaces are shared with each other. This is about community politics, about collaboration and the way that people can and do work together,” explains Page, who has worked in PR, media and communications.

Those in favour of maintaining the mayoral model argue it is a system that offers visible, accountable leadership and delivers concise decision-making.

Marley Bennett, a Labour councillor for Eastville, recently wrote that the alternative to Bristol’s current model is a “discredited” system that would lead to “a return to squabbling” at City Hall.

Page refutes these claims, arguing it is not the job of a city and council leader to have a high profile but rather to deliver essential services, from housing to special educational needs provision.

“That vision of leadership is really becoming outdated,” she tells Bristol24/7.

“There are people with amazing skills and talents in this city and, in a committee system, you can engage at least 70 of them as directly elected representatives.

“Yes, sometimes reaching decisions by consensus takes longer but it’s likely to be a better, wiser decision.”

Listen to a debate hosted by Bristol24/7 on the mayoral referendum:

Like many now fighting to scrap the mayoral system, Page voted for it to be implemented in the 2012 referendum, but she says the establishment of a regional mayor post since then has rendered the city mayor role unnecessary.

“The massive change is we now have a regional structure in order to make those wider strategic decisions and to go to government,” argues Page.

The 2012 referendum saw people in Bristol vote yes to a mayoral system by a narrow margin of 41,032 votes to 35,880 with a turnout of just 24 per cent.

Page hopes to see a higher turnout this time around whichever way people choose to vote. With the city in the grips of a housing crisis, a global pandemic and the cost of living crisis hitting more people than ever, she admits it is difficult to engage people on the matter of governance but argues it’s more important than ever.

“It really matters who makes decisions about your life and that’s what this campaign is all about – is democracy an event or a process?” asks Page.

“Is it something that is done and dusted when we elect a mayor and then leave that person alone to make decisions for the next four years because they have the authority to do so? If it’s by committee, it’s our local councillors who have a seat at the decision making table.

“The city is not any mayors to do what they will with. It’s ours.”

Mary Page believes scrapping the mayoral model will give people in Bristol a greater say over decision-making in their city

All photos: Ellie Pipe

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