Bristol mayor vote: City decides to abolish mayor poston May 6, 2022 at 6:44 am

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More than 56,000 people vote to replace the role with a committee in a referendum.

City Hall in Bristol and Marvin Rees

Voters in Bristol have decided to abolish its directly elected mayor following a referendum.

The city was given the choice of a mayor or a committee system in which decisions are made by groups of councillors.

Some 56,113 voted to scrap the post. The turnout for the referendum was 29%.

Bristol currently has a Labour mayor, Marvin Rees, who will hold the position until 2024. He was preceded by independent George Ferguson.

The post was first created in 2012.

Bristol City Council said the result was likely to be ratified by councillors at a meeting later in May.

The 'Scrap the Mayor' campaign team

Mary Page, the co-founder of the campaign for change, said: “I’d like to start by thanking the people of Bristol who came out to vote, this is their victory, it was about them, because it is our city, it belongs to us, the people of Bristol, and that is what it is all about.

“The committee system will allow more people to be involved, to be engaged in democracy.”

Reacting to the result, Mr Rees said he hoped his “fears” for the committee system would not be realised.

“It certainly gives us more resolve to get stuff done over the next two years, we still have the many challenges that we face, we need to meet those challenges, but also the importance of building momentum to take us through the years after our time in office,” he said.

“I’ve shared that I think the committee system is a very poor system. I hope I am wrong, because certainly the city faces all these challenges and the city needs a leadership that can lead it in the face of the challenges and opportunities.”

Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees (right) with Bristol MP Darren Jones

Giving some advice to those taking over, he added: “Work hard, get some clarity on what the committee system actually is, how it will work, stay absolutely focused on delivery.

“This is not just about self-congratulatory times on the campaign, now you’ve got to take responsibility.”

Work will now begin on the transition phase to a system where full council and a series of committees of councillors, such as for housing, transport, adult social care and children’s services, will take over the decisions that have been made since 2012 by a mayor and cabinet.

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