Deputy leader Jon Rogers picked as mayoral candidate
THE Lib Dem deputy leader Jon Rogers, right, has been chosen to represent his party in November's mayoral elections.
The selection was made by members of the party at a hustings event at the Council House last night.
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Jon Rogers
The former doctor fought off party leader Simon Cook to gain the approval of his peers.
The announcement came after the hustings event, which was held in private.
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Addressing Lib Dem members after the votes had been counted, Dr Rogers said: "I'm honoured to take this position. It is really exciting.
"We have a real opportunity here. Labour think they have it in the bag but Bristol is a Lib Dem city and we have made a huge difference in the way the city runs and the way we deliver services.
"But we have even more to do. My job now is to go out there and listen. Together we can make Bristol even better."
Speaking after the results had been made public, Dr Rogers told the Post: "I knew it was going to be very close. It could have gone either way."
When asked if the Lib Dems could mount a realistic challenge to the favourites, he replied: "Of course. Just in terms of support we have got more seats in the council than anyone else.
"They [Labour] think it's going to be easy, but we are going to give them a run for their money."
Dr Rogers also found time to praise his opposition in the race for the Lib Dem selection.
"He is a worthy candidate and still the leader of the council. We will continue to work closely over the next few months."
Earlier, Lib Dem national deputy leader Simon Hughes told the Bristol members that the mayor race is important regionally and nationally.
He added: "Bristol is a very important city for us as a party and you are the reason why it is important."
The result of the election here could set us up for a generation. The mayor of Bristol could become as well known as the mayor of Paris."
Dr Rogers was a GP in the city for 30 years and is a governor of St Werburgh's Park Nursery and Children's Centre and a trustee for Full Circle, which provides after school clubs and holiday activities for young people.
Having made the selection, he will join nine other confirmed candidates in the mayoral race.
They are: Labour's Marvin Rees, Respect's Paulette North, the Green Party's Daniella Radice and Independents George Ferguson, Andy Thorne, Craig Clarke, Spud Murphy and Corrupt, Lying, Self-Serving B'stard (Eric Mutch).
Rees and Ferguson are the bookies' favourites to take the job.
The Conservative Party is yet to decide on its candidate after releasing a shortlist last week which includes party leader Peter Abraham, former Lord Mayor Geoff Gollop and former city councillor Barbara Lewis.
The Lib Dems currently hold the majority in the council.
But when a mayor is elected in November he or she may pick a new cabinet.
Bristol decided to elect a mayor to lead the council by a small margin in a referendum in May.
The elected mayor will replace the council leader and is different from the lord mayor, whose role is ceremonial.
The election will take place on November 15.
Comments
by Charlespk
Saturday, August 25 2012, 2:14PM
“Is this the REAL Jon Rogers?”
by Richard34
Tuesday, August 14 2012, 12:41AM
“Hi Charlespk,
Being retired isn't an excuse, this is politics and you are full time on here so whether paid or unpaid you're only semi-retired. There's no clearly defined definition of work so when you are commenting on here, you're at work.
Anyway, time to put you knowledge to more use.. join the candidacy and be the man who you believe that you should be in the 2nd life.
Do politicians ever retire? Come on, take the mask off Batman and join the race.”
by katachua
Monday, August 13 2012, 6:58PM
“@Mike_Hope
"Radio Bristol's candidate judging from the way the Liberals get endless name checks, interviews and free publicity, especially from Steve Le Fevre, host of the dire Breakfast show."
It's all right, Mike. The other Radio Bristol listener isn't a Lie Dem, either...”
by Mike_Hope
Monday, August 13 2012, 6:42PM
“Radio Bristol's candidate judging from the way the Liberals get endless name checks, interviews and free publicity, especially from Steve Le Fevre, host of the dire Breakfast show.”
by Charlespk
Monday, August 13 2012, 9:10AM
“I'm retired now Richard, and any way with Bristol's recent history, they wouldn't vote for Margaret Thatchers love child unless I started another war. . . Now there's a thought!! . :)) . . Bus lanes, cycle lanes and traffic lights. . I need a Barber Green, a couple of Sherman tanks and a few tins of black paint.
We just need to sign up a few hundred volunteers. With the Olympics over that shouldn't be a problem now. . Thank you for your support.
Did you know on the strength of a strong sense of civic duty, someone I know invested in a fine bicycle and cycled to the station to catch the train into Bristol. . He secured it with no less than THREE chains and expensive padlocks. . .When he returned in the evening he found that some thieving xxxxxxx had had it away. . Welcome to Bristol UK 2012!!”
by Richard34
Sunday, August 12 2012, 10:38PM
“Remind us again why you aren't applying to be the Elected Mayor of Bristol CharlesPK?”
by Charlespk
Saturday, August 11 2012, 9:52AM
“You can't borrow your way out of debt!!!
You can borrow money to spend on services that you believe you can't possibly do without as long as you can still find anyone to lend you that money.
Fantasy economics building pyramids with borrowed money doesn't work.
If it did, we'd all be £billionaires. . Gordon's Money Tree property boom was fantasy economics that was bound to produce more losers than winners in the end. . That's where we are now.
We need to be adding value and trading goods or services, not just borrowing and spending on vanity projects we can't afford. . The Channel Tunnel was probably the most obvious example of this bankrupt thinking that just provides subsidised travel to the European parliament.
"Too far too fast"; that's just Ed Balls Socialist clap-trap. Labour returned a modicum of growth with Q.E (inflation and devaluation). . The Coalition (and Europe) will have to do more of it to correct the housing market and return cash flow to the internal market. . Increased lending to businesses producing tradable goods or services will obviously help.”
by teknologia
Friday, August 10 2012, 11:18PM
“Just a point of fact to correct Charlespk, who is quite wrong to say you cant borrow your way out of debt. This coalition government will, despite large scale spending cuts, still be borrowing very large sums indeed in order to help get the country out of debt. The country's accounts are not a credit card account Charles. There comes a point when cuts are too far and too fast, actually lowering economic confidence, lowering demand and putting a spiral of downward pressure on economic growth. Economic growth not austerity is key to sorting the deficit and the debt.”
by Charlespk
Wednesday, August 08 2012, 9:25PM
“"Moderate Conservatives who agree with public spending should vote for this man"
What an asinine comment.
We all agree with public spending when we have the funds.
What we don't agree with is putting our children's children in even more debt because of people's current sloth and stupidity.
You cannot borrow your way out of debt. And no one wants to face the correction that will be necessary to get this country and Europe moving again.
http://tinyurl.com/dbwfmp”
by KBillies
Wednesday, August 08 2012, 9:03PM
“It feels like Jon is the man for the job.
Moderate Conservatives who agree with public spending should vote for this man”