Politics of Bristol
The city of Bristol, England, is a unitary authority, represented by four MPs representing seats wholly within the city boundaries. As well as these, Filton and Bradley Stoke covers the northern urban fringe in South Gloucestershire and the north eastern urban fringe is in the Kingswood constituency. The overall trend of both local and national representation became left of centre, favouring the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats during the latter 20th century, but there was a shift to the right in the 2010 general election (although this was not reflected in the local elections). The city has a tradition of local activism, with environmental issues and sustainable transport[1] being prominent issues in the city. The most recent City council elections were in May 2011. The next are expected in May 2013.
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[edit] City Council
The City of Bristol is a ceremonial county governed by a unitary authority; Bristol City Council. The city is divided into 35 wards, which each elect two councillors for a four-year term. One third of the councillors are elected three years in four, but as only one councillor from any ward stands at a time, two-thirds of wards are competed each election.
The full council of 70 councillors has ultimate responsibility for establishing the decision making process and approving the Council’s budget and policy framework.[2] The council meets at the Council House. Full meetings are chaired by the Lord Mayor, a largely ceremonial role that does not hold direct power. The Lord Mayor is a councillor, elected annually in May by the council members.[3]
The full council also elects a leader and seven executive councillors. Together these executives form the cabinet, which is responsible for most day-to-day decisions.[2]
[edit] Composition and Control
The Council has long been dominated by the Labour Party, but recently the Liberal Democrat party has grown strong in the city and took minority control of the Council between the 2005 and 2007 elections. After the 2007 elections, the Labour, Conservative and Green parties then joined forces to oust them and install a minority Labour administration.[4] The current Lord Mayor is Labour councillor Colin Smith. In October 2008 the Liberal Democrats won a seat from Labour in a by-election caused by the death of the sitting councillor. On 24 February 2009 the minority Labour administration resigned following a defeat over plans to build an incinerator in Avonmouth,[5] and the Liberal Democrats resumed control.
In 2009, the election resulted in the Liberal Democrats taking overall majority control of Bristol City Council for the first time. In 2010 they increased their representation to 38 seats giving them a majority of 6.[6] In 2011, they lost their majority and the council is now hung.
For details on the history of Bristol local politics, see History of Bristol City Council.
| Conservative Party | Green Party | Labour Party | Liberal Democrats | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 2 | 21 | 33 | 70 |
| 20% | 3% | 30% | 47% |
| Position | Name | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Lord Mayor | Colin Smith | non-partisan position, individual is a Labour councillor |
| Leader of the Council | Barbara Janke | Liberal Democrats |
| Deputy Leader, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Capital Projects | Simon Cook | Liberal Democrats |
| Cabinet Member for Efficiency and Value for Money | Mark Wright | Liberal Democrats |
| Cabinet Member for Health and Care | Jon Rogers | Liberal Democrats |
| Cabinet Member for Strategic Transport, Waste and Targeted Improvement | Gary Hopkins | Liberal Democrats |
| Cabinet Member for Children and Young People | Clare Campion-Smith | Liberal Democrats |
| Cabinet Member for Strategic Housing and Regeneration | Anthony Negus | Liberal Democrats |
| Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods | Beverly Knott | Liberal Democrats |
| Chief Executive | Jan Ormondroyd | non-partisan |
[edit] Westminster representation
Bristol has 4 Westminster constituencies (West, East, South and North-west), and parts of the built-up area outside the administrative city are also covered by the Filton and Bradley Stoke and Kingswood constituencies which are in South Gloucestershire.
| Constituency | Member | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol East | Kerry McCarthy | Labour Party |
| Bristol North West | Charlotte Leslie | Conservative Party |
| Bristol South | Dawn Primarolo | Labour Party |
| Bristol West | Stephen Williams | Liberal Democrat |
| Constituencies in Greater Bristol, but outside the city boundary | ||
| Filton and Bradley Stoke | Jack Lopresti | Conservative Party |
| Kingswood | Chris Skidmore | Conservative Party |
[edit] European representation
Being in the South West England region for the European Parliament, Bristol currently elects six Members of the European Parliament. Currently, three MEPs come from the Conservative Party, two from the UK Independence Party, and one comes from the Liberal Democrats.
The last election to the European Parliament from the South West was held on Thursday, 4 June 2009.
[edit] See also
- List of Parliamentary constituencies in Avon
- Politics of the United Kingdom
- History of local government in Bristol
[edit] References
- ^ "Sustainability: CREATE Centre". Bristol City Council. http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Environment-Planning/sustainability/create.en;jsessionid=0373FE2CDE4938E0EA38E5E9BD15BFD2.tcwwwaplaws3. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
- ^ a b "Decision Making at Bristol City Council". Bristol City Council. 5 December 2008. http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Council-Democracy/Democracy-Elections/decision-making. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
- ^ "Lord Mayor of Bristol". Bristol City Council. 3 November 2009. http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Council-Democracy/Elected-Representatives/lord-mayor-of-bristol. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
- ^ Staff writer (22 May 2007). "Bristol: Council leader battle resolved". BBC News (BBC). http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/6682343.stm. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
- ^ Staff writer (24 February 2009). "Lib Dems take over as Labour quits Bristol City Council". Bristol Evening Post (Bristol News and Media). http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/homepage/Lib-Dems-Bristol-City-Council/article-724759-detail/article.html. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
- ^ "Local Election Results 2010". Bristol City Council. http://www.bristol.gov.uk/item/elections/?XSL=main&ShowCouncillorsElected=true&ElectionId=64. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bristol City Council |
- Bristol City Council
- Parties: Conservative, Green, Labour, Liberal Democrat
- OpenlyLocal page on Bristol City Council
