George Ferguson – architect, entrepreneur, wearer of bright red trousers – was on ebullient form. “I’m your independent candidate,” he was telling anyone who would pause to listen. “It’s between me and Labour. If I win I will only be answerable to you, not to any political party. I will be your servant.”

And with only hours to go before voting was due to start in the Bristol mayoral election, many people on the Stapleton Road in the Easton area of the city seemed prepared to believe him.

Debbie Taylor, a florist, said she did not usually bother to vote. “It seems to me the parties squabble rather than getting things done. The idea of an independent mayor appeals. And I like his red trousers.”

Mohammed Omer, owner of N Taxis, agreed that an independent mayor could be a boost to the city. “We need someone who is going to work for us, not for their political parties,” he said.

The unknown entity in Thursday’s elections – which include new police and crime commissioners (PCC) in 41 areas and three byelections – are the independent candidates. In the PCC elections there are 54 independent candidates – 28% of the total.

In Bristol, Ferguson said if he came out on top when the votes were counted on Friday, he would pick his candidate according to the best people for the job regardless of political affiliation.

Like most of the other 15 candidates, Ferguson vows to improve transport, housing and job prospects. But he argues he will be free to be more daring than those wedded to mainstream parties. “I would like to use Bristol as a test-bed,” he said. For example he might ask Westminster for greater planning powers to keep supermarkets at bay. “If these ideas fail they can blame me, if they succeed they can be used in other cities.”

Ferguson said it had been liberating not to have a party machine behind him. He reckons he has around 300 supporters actively working for him and the campaign will have cost around £50,000. Around half of the money has been donated; the other half from his own pocket.

Whether it is true that the race is between Labour and Ferguson, the Liberal Democrats – who run the city council – do appear rattled.

When Ferguson bumped into the Lib Dem team on Stapleton Road, its mayoral candidate, Jon Rogers, challenged him over the claim that he was really independent, pointing out that he had formed a political part, Bristol 1st. (Ferguson says he created a “party of one” to get access to electoral information and put his logo on the ballot paper, and that he remained truly independent).

Rogers could not resist a dig when Ferguson’s campaign car drove past with a loudhailer calling on people to: “Vote for the man in red trousers.” “A bit 1970s” was the Liberal Democrat’s verdict.

The Labour candidate, Marvin Rees, also appeared on the Stapleton Road, part of one of Bristol’s most deprived areas. He grew up close to here. If he wins will be the first directly elected mayor of African-Caribbean descent in Europe.

Rees is a defender of the party system, arguing that without the help of Labour someone from his background with modest means would struggle to compete. “My party is making it possible for me to run. The Labour party has backed me.”

He agreed the new mayor should not get sucked into the “ping pong” of local politics but bring together the whole city – the voluntary sector, faith communities, businesses, unions, educational institutions – and be a builder of networks, a broker, a diplomat.

In the Three Blackbirds pub, Ferguson was challenging barworker Aisha Kafele to name the current leader of Bristol city council.

She couldn’t (it’s Simon Cook, by the way). But she knew the name of the London mayor: “That Boris guy”. Ferguson explains that the new mayor here will be a Boris for Bristol. “I can do that job,” he said.

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I have personal experience of trying to get a big project off the ground in Bristol, and learned that without very deep pockets one is simply at the mercy of a Council system that destroys good ideas. Bit by bit it crushes the vitality – each department adding its own negativity until there is little left. I have longed to be able to talk to someone with vision, who can see a project through by bringing the constructive engagement of talented officers. So I see this election as a last-ditch attempt by our citizens to create a system that will demand the vision, the balls and the radicalism to make a difference.

What a job this will be! Who can possibly do it? Our new mayor will need to ride the soporific-but-obstructive tiger that is the current system, create a new one and then make them both work. He – for it is likely to be a male – will need guts, tenacity, charm, deep experience of the city, business experience and success, creative flair and the ability to bring people together in common cause. He must understand the now-urgent need for green policies, and have the drive to see them through. He will have to sell Bristol to the outside world, bring us close to those European cities who are miles ahead of us,  make us part of a bigger picture.  He will draw on the rich talents available in our two universities and in our bubbling media sector.  He will draw the best out of our business community – persuading them that a growing economy is no longer the simple answer to our deep problems, that we need to re-think what sort of economy we want to create.  We need to look to the rest of this century, with the enormous problems it is already bringing, and re-design the way our city works and the dreams it nurtures.

Just imagine how richly various and beautiful, how fair and inclusive, the city might be if we were to tap into the energy and creativity of our many communities rather than squabbling among each other. Our multiculturalism could be one of our many strengths, our rumbustious and truculent independence the course of a renewed energy. But for all these things to happen we need a wholly new man or woman at the top, not a party apparatchik but someone who will breathe new life and spirit into our ailing systems. Such a person has to be independent; it goes without further argument. And, having met all the other candidates, all of whom I admire for standing up to be counted, I am utterly convinced that George Ferguson is the only man who can do this. And once he is there he will need our support – in spades; I do believe that he will be able to muster it as nobody else could.

Just imagine the alternative.

Alastair Sawday is a former chair of The Green Capital Partnership, Ambassador for Big Green Week and an Independent Publisher.

The post Alastair Sawday – Can Bristol Really Be Independent? appeared first on Bristol1st.

Robert Del Naja said: “We’re backing George. Having an independent at the helm will allow Bristol to benefit from the widest range of talent. More people will have their say and the city will be open to more opportunities.

“It’s about running the city beyond just a political agenda. It’s not just about managing budgets and balancing the books. It’s about imagination. We need a mayor that will bring projects with major appeal to Bristol. Sound, viable projects that are vibrant and really capture the imagination and put Bristol on the map.

“We need to look at what’s been achieved in Manchester. They’ve invested heavily in the arts, and it’s brought back huge economic benefits for the city. We need to explore creative ways to bring investment to Bristol.

“George is the man that will do this. A party simply candidate won’t do it, they won’t look beyond running the council operations.”

George Ferguson said: “Receiving support from Rob and Grant is great. I want to work with them and others from Bristol’s music scene to make sure we are pre-eminent on the national and international stage. This means developing talent and opportunity across the city.

“I am truly inspired by the great range of people that have given me messages of support over the past few days.

“The warmth and backing that I have from people from different communities right across the city is proof that they see this as something refreshing and don’t want more of the same. However I can’t over emphasise how important this election is going to be and what is at stake for our city.

“The choice for Bristol on Thursday is clear. If we don’t take this one opportunity to make a bold, independent decision, there is the very real danger that the Labour party will bind Bristol, not only with their own cabinet and central party control but also with apparatchiks in all the top Council posts, where there are several vacancies. It would stack the deck for a generation.

“There is an alternative. I will base my cabinet on talent – not on party membership. I want to govern this city for all the people that live here. I will be your mayor, not a party mayor. I will always put Bristol interests first.”

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The warmth and support that I have from people from different communities right across the city is proof that they see this as something refreshing and don’t want more of the same. However I can’t over emphasise how important this election is going to be and what is at stake for our city.

The choice for Bristol on Thursday is clear. If we don’t take this one opportunity to make a bold, independent decision, there is the very real danger that the Labour party will bind Bristol, not only with their own cabinet and central party control but also with apparatchiks in all the top Council posts, where there are several vacancies. It would stack the deck for a generation.

There is an alternative. I will base my cabinet on talent – not on party membership. I want to govern this city for all the people that live here. I will be your mayor, not a party mayor. I will always put Bristol first.

I am the only candidate in this election that has a track record of getting things done. I have been involved with Bristol based enterprises and charities for decades, I have created hundreds of jobs and been responsible for many regeneration projects, both large and small, across the city that have had a lasting positive impact on their local communities.

I shall only be answerable to the people of Bristol, not to a party with all its dogma, and I will be a mayor that gets Bristol working, but I do need your help. The last few days are crucial. Please get in touch with all of your contacts and networks and encourage them to vote for me in your own way or by forwarding this.

We have to make it work – for Bristol’s sake!

All the best – George

The post The Future of Bristol is in Your Hands! appeared first on Bristol1st.

 EMBARGO: MONDAY 12 NOVEMBER 2012

Leading independent politicians are visiting Bristol on Monday 12 November. They are led by Martin Bell who believes that Bristol is at a crucial crossroads and has a real opportunity to become a pioneer of a new, inclusive, independent politics.

He will visit Bristol today (Monday 12 November) to speak at a special event organised by leading independent mayoral candidate, George Ferguson.

George Ferguson said: “Never have Bristol voters had so much to gain and so much to lose in a single election, a view that I know Martin shares.”

The event, which is attracting representatives of the new generation of independent politicians from across the UK, will debate how independence can bring new energy and dynamism in shaping the city’s future.

Speakers also include Siobhan Benita, who captured the nation’s attention by winning 84,000 first votes and a hefty 212,000 second votes standing as an independent in the London Mayoral election.

Also taking part will be Liam Fogarty, who, as the independent candidate, was runner up in Liverpool’s first mayoral election, in May.

Sue Mountstevens, the only independent candidate in the Avon & Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner elections, will also attend, as will local businessman Andy Thorne, a former independent mayoral candidate who has stepped down in favour of backing George Ferguson’s campaign.

They will be joined by representatives of the Independents for Frome, a group that won 10 out of 17 seats contested in Frome Town Council last May.

Martin Bell, a former renowned broadcast war reporter, became the first successful independent Member of Parliament (MP) since 1951 after winning the Tatton constituency in 1997. He will argue that local politics has been gripped tightly by parties since the war. This stifles talent, dampens ambition and feeds tribal confrontation.

The Bell Principles, endorsed by The Independent Network, represent the first code of conduct for elected independent representatives and are being used by George Ferguson in his own independent campaign.

George Ferguson said: “I look forward to Martin Bell highlighting how exciting this opportunity is for Bristol, and what is at stake.

“If Marvin Rees is elected, he has stated that he will form a cabinet entirely of Labour representatives. This is a daunting prospect for our city.

“We are on the brink of single party control. We all know from the experience of Labour’s stranglehold on Bristol from the early 1980s to the beginning of the Millennium what follows.

“Total domination of politics by a single party results in arrogance, staleness of approach and cronyism.

“This situation is exacerbated by the fact that the city’s chief executive and three of five key directors will be appointed over the next 18 months.

“A Labour Mayor, together with these key Labour party appointed posts, supported by a Labour council, would have a stranglehold on Bristol that this city hasn’t seen for 10 years.”

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT:  Zoe Sear on 07786 856069 or Chris Luffingham on 07570 598406

Bristol 1st – George Ferguson’s Campaign for Mayor

18 Great George Street, Bristol, BS1 5RH

Tel: 0117 376 3351

Email: contact@bristol1st.com

Web: www.bristol1st.com

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/Bristol1st.GeorgeFerguson

TWITTER: @bristol_1st and @georgefergusonx

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Martin Bell, a former renowned broadcast war reporter, became the first successful independent Member of Parliament (MP) since 1951 after winning the Tatton constituency in 1997.

With seven independent candidates in the running, the Bristol Mayoral race has proved a political experiment capable of attracting national attention.

George said: “This could be the beginning of something new and exciting within the political sphere. There’s the potential to really break the mould of party dominated regional politics.

“At a time when local politics is seeing voting numbers dwindle, independents are reigniting public interest. People not normally involved in politics are getting involved – a recent local opinion poll revealed that up to 64 per cent of the city’s eligible voters are planning to vote.

“People are engaging with politics, but there’s a real sense that voting for a political party won’t achieve anything as candidates continue to put party before people. I am going to change this. I will put Bristol 1^st, and be answerable to the people of Bristol rather than a party leadership in Westminster

“Martin Bell’s principles are an excellent reference point – they demand that independent politicians behave to the highest standards.”

The Bell Principles, endorsed by The Independent Network, represent the first code of conduct for elected independent representatives. The principles include:

-       Abide wholeheartedly by the spirit and letter of the Seven Principles of Public Life set out by Lord Nolan in 1995: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.

-       Be guided by considered evidence, our real world experience and expertise, our constituencies and our consciences.

-       Be free from the control of any political party, pressure group or whip.

-       Be non-discriminatory, ethical and committed to pluralism.

-       Make decisions transparently and openly at every stage and level of the political process, enabling people to see how decisions are made and the evidence on which they are based.

-       Listen, consulting our communities constantly and innovatively.

-       Treat political opponents with courtesy and respect, challenging them when we believe they are wrong, and agreeing with them when we believe they are right.

-       Resist abuses of power and patronage and promote democracy at every level.

-       Claim expenses, salaries and compensation openly so the public can judge the value for money of our activities.

Further information about George Ferguson’s campaign, including a copy of his seven point vision is available at www.bristol1st.com.

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GEORGE Ferguson is on a mission. He is passionately committed to making Bristol one of the best cities in Europe – if not the world – and he believes there is no better way for him to achieve this than becoming the city’s first elected mayor.

“Somebody said about me the other day that I have spent my whole life preparing to be Bristol’s first elected mayor without knowing it,” he said. “Bristol is my chosen city, I have a passion for it and I have a real belief that I can make it a much better place for everyone.”

But what makes him the ideal candidate? “I get things done, I make things happen,” he said.

Perhaps the best example of this is the Tobacco Factory, which has been turned into a thriving arts and culture centre and which has been a major factor in the revival of the Southville area.

He bought it from the receivers for £200,000 at a time when most people expected the red brick building to be knocked down to make way for a supermarket car park.

“I could see the potential and I made it work,” he said. “I am very proud of what has been achieved there and I want to see that kind of result in many other ways right across the city.”

George is fiercely proud of his independence and it is perhaps his best trump card in his campaign to win the election on November 15.

Even his famous red trousers are a daily statement of his refusal to kow-tow to anyone.

“There came a point about 25 years ago when I was in a room with a body of men in suits and I just thought to myself, ‘I don’t want to be one of these. I have got a pair of red trousers at home, I will wear those.’

“Then there came a point when people would remark if I didn’t wear them and so they sort of stuck.

“The red trousers are not a political statement. It’s a statement of independence.”

But it’s true, is it not George, that you were Bristol’s first Liberal councillor way back in the 1970s?

“In those days, it was the closest you could get to being independent,” he said. “The council had been dominated for years by the two main parties and yes, I got elected as a Liberal but I always held my own views, I never tied myself to the party line and I was, in effect, an independent.”

After some recent mud-slinging, it emerged that George was a member of the Liberal Democrats until some months back. But he responded to this by saying that he was never an active member and it was just an oversight on his part to cancel a long-running standing order with the bank.

He said: “I am independent and I will only be answerable to the people of Bristol which I think is vitally important.

“Bristol has voted bravely and sensibly for change – the only city to do that in a referendum earlier this year.

“And the only way to get that change is to break away from the party politics which has held us back for so long.

“The one thing that people keep saying to me is that having an elected mayor is a tremendous opportunity for Bristol to achieve something remarkable for the good of everyone – and I know I can deliver that.

“I feel no bias towards any political party – I only feel bias towards putting Bristol first and making it better.”

We move on to George’s vision for Bristol. He likes the word, ‘vision’ and balks at the idea of a manifesto which he describes as a politician’s list of broken promises.

He starts to verbally paint a very wide canvas to show how Bristol could emerge as the best city in Britain. He wants to get Bristol moving by having a much bigger vision for integrated transport than we do at the moment and attracting new investment to the city.

He doesn’t like the proposed network of bendy buses (rapid transit) but he does want an Independent Transport Authority to take charge of sorting out the city’s daily traffic chaos.

He wants Bristol to be a city of innovation and to build on its growing reputation as a leader in renewable technology and hi-tech industries.

He wants the centre of Bristol (the whole of the city centre) which he describes as “a bit of a mess and a muddle” and which has not really recovered since the Second World War to be transformed into a “special place”, somewhere which is inspiring, not only for the people who live here but for visitors and tourists.

“Bristol is a maritime city but it’s not showing itself off as it should,” he said. “If you go down to St Augustine’s Reach or by the Arnolfini, that should be a wonderful place but it’s actually full of second-rate grubby boats.

“That’s not what you get in Copenhagen or Amsterdam.

“If you walk through the centre of Bordeaux, for example, it is the most wonderful place.”

George can draw on his knowledge of many European cities and personal contact with their elected mayors to see how they have transformed themselves during the past few decades.

“When I go abroad, I have to explain that Bristol is near Bath but what I want to be able to say is that Bath is somewhere near Bristol.”

He finds it difficult to believe, for example, that the Avon Gorge and Clifton Suspension Bridge have not been awarded World Heritage status and knows that if they were, then they would draw many thousands of tourists to the city each year.

George, an architect who first came to Bristol as a student at the university in 1965, is a former president of RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) an influential national body and therefore has firsthand experience of being the figurehead of a major organisation.

He said: “Having led RIBA, I had the ability to lead and inspire – that is what the job of being elected mayor is all about. It’s about instilling pride in the city and making sure the rest of the world realises that Bristol is a great place.

“If you look at all the other candidates, just think about which one is most capable of changing the city – that’s the big issue. Bristol needs a strong champion, someone who is recognised everywhere, not just by their political party.”

George points out that the elected mayor won’t have much money to spend on capital projects but as a champion of the city, they will have an enormous role to play in shifting attitudes and creating a buzz in the city.

He would appoint a deputy mayor and have a cross party cabinet with five assistant mayors. He would not have a chief executive to run the council but a chief operating officer who has got “practical and relevant business experience”.

He would demand that his five assistant mayors – chosen from elected councillors – would put the city first and not simply follow their party’s official line.

He would also like to see them hold office for four years “although I would need to dismiss people if necessary”.

He wants to devolve more power to the network of Neighbourhood Partnerships so councillors can champion their own areas which George believes they were elected for, “not playing some sort of Westminster game”.

The Council House would no longer be called such. One of his first tasks if elected would be to change it to City Hall so people understood the majestic building on College Green belonged to them.

George is the son of an Army officer and so never spent more than two years at a time in any one place during his childhood. He was born in Winchester and was a boarder at Wellington College, a public school in Berkshire before moving to Bristol where he has stayed ever since.

He was separated from his wife 12 years ago but they often see each other and he is close to his three grown up children and three grandchildren.

He loves to travel but always regards his trips as adventures, not holidays. This summer, for example, he drove in his left hand drive Smart car to Russia. “I’m bored to tears lying on a beach,” he said. “I learn from visiting cities.”

The post George Ferguson – “Party politics have held us back too long” appeared first on Bristol1st.

Mr Berresford who met leaders from the city’s tourism, hospitality and leisure sector said: “I am delighted to accept George Ferguson’s invitation to visit Bristol. It’s the personality and individuality of the city that sets Bristol apart.

“Projects like the Tobacco Factory, which attracts some of the best studio theatre to a venue created from a 100 year old disused cigarette factory, are hidden gems that make this a very special place. Bristol has great potential and deserves to receive full and proper recognition on the national and international stage.”

George Ferguson said: “It is great that James Berresford recognises Bristol’s special qualities. We must now realise the city’s great potential and receive the ‘full and proper recognition’ that this remarkable city deserves.

“As Bristol Mayor I certainly won’t be shy about promoting our city. I will be energetic, and uncompromising in ensuring that Bristol finally punches its weight and we get our full share of national and international limelight.

“We need to package and promote what makes Bristol unique and an inspiration for other cities. This lies in the individuality and quality of our attractions. As well as the major attractions and commercial centres, it is the inimitable delight of the smaller independent venues and attractions. A powerful collaborative approach is needed to attract visitors.

“The leisure and tourism sector in Bristol plays a crucial role in the local economy, employing many 1,000s of local people. It accounts for 9% of the city’s GDP. Stimulating it is one of the quickest and easiest ways to create local jobs.

“Supporting the growth of the visitor economy creates jobs for those most in need. It doesn’t require capital investment, and can be done very quickly.

“Raising awareness of Bristol’s appeal will also attract inward investment, bringing new employers and high calibre recruits to the city boosting the local economy.”

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