Out and about in Brislington West with Jos and Andrew
Today (Thursday 5 May) you have the chance to give your verdict on ten years of mayoral failure in a referendum on the governance of Bristol. At the recent campaign launch, it was great to hear from every political party in Bristol, including many Labour Party members, on why the current system of local governance is bad for Bristol and bad for democracy. We have been delivering Scrap the Mayor leaflets across Greater Brislington over the last few weeks and the conversations we’ve had with local residents have been overwhelmingly in favour of change. The referendum, which was proposed by the Bristol Lib Dems and supported by Green and Conservative councillors, will give voters a chance to have their say on 5 May. The mayoral system in Bristol has a record of shame with £50m of taxpayers’ money thrown down the drain on Bristol Energy, £12m wasted on two bridges to nowhere at Arena Island, parks’ budgets slashed and playgrounds left with no swings, disabled children’s education neglected with hundreds of special school places not provided, and millions more to be cut from the city’s adult social care budget. 24
Because of the over-centralisation of power in the hands of one person, decisions have been made behind closed doors with overpaid, unaccountable advisers and unelected city elites, while local residents and councillors from every party have been ignored and have been unable to stop the waste. The alternative system of governance, the Modern Committee System, is being adopted by councils all over the country, from Glasgow to Sheffield and from Nottingham to Brighton, and it’s easy to see why. The Committee System is a much fairer, more cooperative way of making decisions, ensuring every voice is heard, not just one! On 5 May you can vote to end the waste and restore local democracy. Please vote for a better Bristol. Vote for change. Vote to scrap the Mayor! You can watch a short, explanatory video here: www.youtu.be/ fjrAIDASFnc Volunteering for the Greenway: This Saturday 7th May at 10am, those interested in volunteering are invited to help with path clearance work on the southern section of our new traffic-free path, the Brislington Greenway, to accelerate its opening date.
