‘Ferguson is a great asset to our city’

I am going to be honest with you. I was originally very sceptical about the benefits of Bristol having a directly elected mayor.

However, since George Ferguson – or GF as I call him – was elected in November 2012 it has become clear to me that an elected mayor has benefited our city enormously.

It has been refreshing to see someone enter politics that is not just ready to listen but also act. I first met George at the start of his campaign in 2012. This was to seek his support in addressing the issue of female genital mutilation (FGM).

I had written to all of the 2012 mayoral candidates, asking them to meet the young people from Integrate Bristol and me to talk about how the mayor could work to help make Bristol the first city to end FGM within a generation.

George was not just the first candidate to reply but he also made time for the young people, their mothers and many who were not just part of the work to end FGM but from areas in the city who were being ignored.

The more that I have gotten to know George it has become clear to me that his ideas and vision are above party political scoring and he that he is truly representative of Bristol.

As George has said himself, “You might not like everything that I have done, but at least we are finally getting things done”. I think it is great that Bristol now has definitive and accountable leadership and feel it would be foolish to put this at risk by not reelecting George in 2016.

George has done something that we have never seen in Bristol before. He has put the interests of our city and its people, especially young people, above those of the political party that you support.

This was demonstrated when he decided to form a rainbow coalition at City Hall. The assistant mayors at Bristol City Council come from the Greens, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.

This has ensured that Bristol has fair representation at the top table when it comes to making important policy decisions.

We are now a million miles away from 2007 when, after the local elections, the mainstream political parties were unable to elect a leader of the city council leading to instability.

Bristol now has leadership that is representative of our city’s values. This was made clear during the refugee crisis in Syria. Bristol and George Ferguson took ownership of the debate nationally when he declared that we would always be a “city of sanctuary” for those who are the most vulnerable in society.

As the daughter of a refugee, this filled me with pride. Above all the hate and horror we saw around us, my home city was standing up for those in need.

This was also more than just political posturing for George. During the 1970s he and his family provided refuge in Bristol for those seeking asylum from Uganda and he has offered and urged others to do the same in response to the crisis in Syria.

George Ferguson has also propelled policy discussions into reality. The future Bristol Arena is a clear example of this.

Before George was elected it had been a 30-year discussion amongst council officers and councillors, with no real progress In under three years, George has turned that discussion into reality and in 2017 we will now be home to a world class venue that matches our city’s ambitions.

He has also begun to tackle the huge issue of transport infrastructure in Bristol, through the development of Metrobus and plans to have road infrastructure that suits a 21st century Bristol.

Since November 2012, our city has changed and I think that George has played a key role in this. We now have an ambassador who bangs the drum for our city nationally and internationally.

He is also someone who understands the breadth and diversity of this city. He has shown a commitment to Bristol for nearly 40 years, as an architect, businessman, social entrepreneur, brewer, activist and then, finally, as mayor.

I hope everyone else can see in May next year that George is a great asset and champion for our city. It would be an enormous loss if we were to lose him to another politician who is spouting a mandate served to them from Westminster.

Under George we have a mandate that is wholeheartedly pro-Bristol and will deliver policies that benefit us and continue to put to bed the political bickering that has often plagued our council in the past.

Nimco Ali is a Somali-born social activist and campaigner. She is also co-founder and director of Daughters of Eve, a non-profit organisation helping protect young girls under threat from FGM.