Your say / Politics
‘Power needs to be given back to Bristol’s communities’
Seven years ago, along with 41,031 other people in Bristol, I voted for our city to have a mayor. Nearly as many people disagreed, but more worryingly only a tiny proportion of the total 318,893-electorate voted at all.
I admit, I was tempted by the idea of a mayor to lead our city. A big job to take on the big challenges, to make the quality of life for all Bristolians better.
But one of the problems with the mayoral role is that it is a really big job. Too much for one person.
is needed now More than ever
Previously, decision-making could be shared; more of a negotiated conversation. The public could see democracy being done, with traceable accountability for decisions made. There was a need for councillors to find common ground, because they are closer and more in touch with the people they represent.
The mayor is too remote, distanced from the people, elected by all yet accountable to none. It can become a role where leadership is confused with dictatorship, benevolent or otherwise.
Today’s big challenges need leadership, so it matters who is in control. There’s also a significant budget, around £3/4bn which is controlled by just one person. The mayor sets the capital and revenue spending plans for all of us Bristol tax and business rate-payers.
Your community councillors are sidelined because even if they vote for changes, the mayor can overturn or ignore them the next day.
So with a mayor and councillors, everything is duplicated, but which is the spare?
As Bristolians, we were promised a lot from our two elected mayors so far, but have they really delivered? I believe we’ve seen the opposite. We’ve had the non-delivery of an arena, the lack of even a plan to tackle air pollution to save lives of Bristolians and the failure to capitalise on being the UK’s first European Green Capital.
Add to that, in the last mayor’s term of office, reports of alleged fudged accounts, showing savings made which affected performance-related bonuses. Then under this mayor, eye-watering exit pay-offs to senior staff, combined with cunning plans for a money-pit mole-transit system and you begin to really see the excesses of a mayor-led system.
A mayor should be a servant of the city. It’s our money, our shared resources, our lives. We need our representatives to treasure and nurture us, so we have a city where all are welcome and we all reach our full potential. A home which is a safe haven for all.
I believe we can take back control to change things. If, like me, you’ve changed your mind, then you should have the chance to get rid of our spare mayor. I and the Liberal Democrats will be standing on a platform to hold a public vote in 2022 on the future of the mayor.
We believe it’s time power was given back to our communities in Bristol. Why don’t you join us to free the city from the mayor?
Mary Page is the Lib Dem mayoral candidate for the 2020 election
Read more: Lib Dems reveal 2020 mayoral candidate
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