Local artist Panda

Thank-you and farewell Thank-you and farewell

This will be the final article that I (Mike Davies) write for you as your councillor, as I am stepping down at the local election in May. It’s been a great honour to serve as councillor for Ashley ward – I’d like to thank you for letting me have this opportunity, and for your kindness and support over the last five years. As a councillor I have learnt so much, in particular, about how passionately so many people work and campaign to make this city a better place, in all kinds of ways, and in all kinds of capacities, from charities to advice agencies, from campaign groups to neighbourhood associations.

It has been a politically eventful few years, with: the Brexit referendum; the creation of the metro-mayor; two general elections; two new prime ministers; and the coronavirus pandemic, which delayed the 2020 election by one year. One thing that has been enduring over this period, however, is austerity. Local government has had to deal with the most severe cuts of any government department, losing 60p in every £1 of funding. It has been sad to see the effect this has had on funding for services and organisations in the city. Another major factor that has shaped my experience of being a councillor is the governance system we have in Bristol, the elected mayoral system. Almost all power in the Council lies with the Mayor and Cabinet, and most important decisions are made in Cabinet meetings rather than Full Council. Backbench councillors have little genuine input into decision-making. However, in theory, the city is split into wards that elect councillors so that communities, wherever they are, can have a voice when decisions are made. The mayoral system has, for the most part, minimised the role of councillor to a role of responding to complaints and undertaking casework. While this can be rewarding, there are easier ways to fulfil such a penchant (volunteering for an advice agency, for example). Without being able to effectively realise change – in a consistent and transparent way that rewards effort and creativity – our role is hollow, and our communities are let down. It’s no wonder that so many good councillors are stepping down in May. We have had two terms of a mayoral system, and I think we can now appraise how well this experiment has fared, and to what extent it has eroded the vitality of our democratic process. Next year Bristol will have a choice to make about whether to keep or abolish the mayoral system (there will be a referendum if a petition gets enough signatures). While undoubtedly there have been achievements in the last nine years, we should consider carefully whether the cost to democracy, transparency and accountability in this city has been too high.

Council CONTACTS

Your local councillors are available to support residents with queries relating to Bristol City Council services such as planning, adult care children and schools, waste and other community issues. Here’s how you can contact them. Cllr Jude English (Green Party) Email: cllr.jude. english@bristol.gov.uk Call: 07584 151 099 Correspondence address: Green Party Office City Hall PO Box 3399 Bristol BS3 9FS

Cllr Mike Davies (Labour Party) Email: cllr.mike.davies@ bristol.gov.uk Call: 07584 370 413 Correspondence address: Labour Group Office City Hall PO Box 3399 Bristol BS3 9FS Cllr Carole Johnson (Labour Party) Email: cllr.carole. johnson@bristol.gov.uk Call: 07584 370 414 Correspondence address: c/o Labour Group Office City Hall PO Box 3399 Bristol MP Thangam Debbonaire’s team: thangam.debbonaire. mp@parliament.uk; 01173 790 980.