BUSINESS INSIDER
THAT SUMS UP MY LIFE: I LIKE TO DISRUPT; TO BE A NUISANCE ARCHITECT OF HIS OWN SUCCESS
George first entered local politics as a Liberal councillor, along with two party colleagues. “We were kept off committees because, quite simply, we were a nuisance. I suppose in a way that sums up my life. I like to disrupt, be a nuisance. Which might sound odd, as many people probably see me as an establishment figure. But even if you’re in the establishment, you should always push as hard as you can against what is established. That’s the only way to test it.” George doesn’t think of himself as a politician, and that, he believes, has helped him carry out his policies: “There’s always been an entrepreneurial culture in Bristol, you see, but one that’s been held back by politics. Being an independent, I was able to tap into that vein. That was easier for me than a party politician.” Certainly, matters moved swiftly with George at the helm. “As an independent I’d have the freedom to make decisions on the spot. Local party politics holds back progress; even the most dynamic. But when I was mayor I made my default position ‘yes’. It certainly wasn’t to say, ‘Right, let’s get a committee together and do a study.’ I didn’t have to go back to the party, and that was a huge bonus.” Nevertheless, the former mayor is the first to recognise that a maverick spirit can only get you so far. “The bottom line is that there is still terrible
GEORGE ON BRISTOL: “I came to Bristol first in 1965. I was blown away by the place. It had been devastated by the war, and by 1965 was only beginning to recover. But I loved what was a very varied city. Varied socially, varied culturally – and with every sort of architecture. I developed a passion for the place. I wanted to make it the best place in the world.” “We are an alternative and different place – Glastonbury is not far away and we have a slightly hip culture which has tended to lean towards the green.” “I’ve not given up on my idea of Bristol being one of the greenest, greatest, grandest cities on earth.” “I would celebrate our creativity, our clean-tech environment. I celebrate a better future.”
homelessness in Bristol; people still freeze in the streets. In one sense you can only judge a city, or a country, by its poorest people. And we still have a terrible homelessness problem in the city. “What was done for Wapping Wharf, with its restaurants and cafes and so on in the shipping containers has been amazing. Jasper Thompson, the founder of Help Bristol’s Homeless, wanted to do the same for the homeless. But these were ruled as being sub-standard housing. That was very frustrating.” The continuing crisis over social housing also exercises George. “The amount of money we can borrow is capped. We definitely need to be able to borrow more against our estate. And right-to-buy needs to be carefully looked at.” Despite the problem of housing, culturally and commercially George has made a difference. In 1994, he bought the remnants of the old Imperial Tobacco Factory on Raleigh Road to save it from demolition, and with a view to regenerating the area of North Street. “I enjoy setting up places that make a difference,” he said. The Tobacco Factory is now a mixed-use project that includes the theatre, bar and creative industry workspace. 2003 saw one of the entrepreneur’s most laudable projects. George bought the defunct Ashton Gate Brewery, renamed it The Bristol Beer Factory, and began brewing in 2005. Anyone who has enjoyed a pint of Bristol Export or Southern Conspiracy will say, “Cheers, Geordie.” There’s even better news for the committed beer drinker: “The factory is expanding, which is great.” But this architect/entrepreneur/environmentalist is not content to rest on his record. “I’m looking at putting in cafés and bars in areas that need them, where they’ll make a difference to the culture, to the people.” George failed to get re-elected in the 2016 election. With Marvin Rees winning the seat for Labour, Bristol’s first mayor found himself clearing his desk at City Hall. During his five year tenure George worked tirelessly to raise the profile of Bristol globally as a green and innovative place. He continues that work out of office, and stresses he has no further political ambitions beyond Bristol. He does have one piece of advice for his successor, however: “If you’re not prepared to upset people you’ll get nothing done. If you don’t want to be hated don’t do anything – that’s what I said to Marvin.” Of course, adopt those defensive tactics and you may well end up hating yourself; something that George Ferguson demonstrably does not need to do. His heart is in Bristol, and it’s a better place because of that. The planet too, for that matter. And the red trousers? They’ve not been retired, either. “In the words of Madonna if we’re going to save the world we can at least have fun doing it,” he is on record as saying. The next Bristol Life Business Club, with guest speaker Tom Westwell of Pukka Herbs, takes place on 9 April Tickets £64.49; www.bristollifebusinessclub.com
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