'We have to put our city ahead of party politics'
ARCHITECT George Ferguson has launched his campaign to become Bristol's first elected mayor.
In a speech at the Tobacco Factory in Southville last night, he told supporters he would stand as an independent candidate campaigning under the banner Bristol First.
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Although he did not outline policies he would introduce, he expressed a desire to deliver an arena, have a tree planted in the city for every resident and redraw Bristol's boundaries to cover the wider metropolitan area.
Wearing his trademark red trousers, Mr Ferguson told an audience of about 100 people he would set up focus groups and think tanks before formulating his policy and hitting the campaign trail in September.
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After delivering a speech, he fielded questions from the audience packed in the Tobacco Factory's bar.
Mr Ferguson, pictured, told the audience: "I've been in Bristol since 1965 and it's a place I've loved and hated in different ways. I've hated some of things that have happened to the city but it's a brilliant city and it could be even more brilliant.
"We should put Bristol before all else – those who live here and are passionate about the city should be put before our political parties and organisations."
Mr Ferguson said he hoped people from all parties and those who were not politically aligned would pledge to join his campaign by offering their skills and their views.
He told the audience: "We've been dominated and polluted by an obsession with party politics which were designed for national government. People have been elected to be councillors because of what's going on nationally, not what they are doing locally.
"It's important Bristol votes for people who care about Bristol."
If elected, he said he would "grab power from central government and redistribute it to where it belongs".
Mr Ferguson promised not to criticise other candidates or "play dirty politics" in the lead up to the election, which will be held on November 15.
Comments
by John_Name
Friday, May 18 2012, 4:00PM
“@corncups
'...I don't want to limit your choice of candidates. I'd like for you to be part of the policy making process, not a bystander with an illusion of choice every four years.'
You DO want to limit my choice of candidates. You DON'T want me to be part of the policy-making process. You want to REMOVE my vote, and REPLACE it with a system of arbitrary cooption - electing citizens by random lot to fulfill the various government functions.
This is
(1) Completely mad. Joe Bloggs wakes up one morning and gets an embossed letter telling him he's the new Defence Minister, or Chancellor of the Exchequer. He won't have the first clue what to do.
(2) You straightforwardly contradicting yourself. Limiting my choice of candidates IS EXACTLY what you are doing. You are limiting it to 0. You are not facilitating my input intothe policy-making process, but hindering it.
'I might not agree with what you say, but would uphold your right to say it. That's real democracy.'
Real democracy is people being allowed to engage in politics, not being told that they are allowed to engage in politics and then hindered from doing so.”
by shaun1964
Wednesday, May 16 2012, 2:03PM
“we need a mayor who has the interests of bristol people and the young people of bristol,and a person who is from bristol.we do not need another from any political party.there are many problems in bristol which will be outlined very soon.”
by KBillies
Tuesday, May 15 2012, 10:58PM
“Be interested why you refer to me as Ben, its a chic and fashionable name mind you.
We really must do that Lattee soon.
I am buying.
Last week I was away on business.”
by DM_Fishponds
Tuesday, May 15 2012, 10:35PM
“@KBillies - "Hopefully DM Fishponds has moved off this forum. All he does is carp and insult local communities."
carp 1 (kärp). intr.v. carped, carp•ing, carps. To find fault in a disagreeable way; complain fretfully.
carp 2 n. a large variable Asian soft-finned freshwater cyprinid fish (Cyprinus carpio) of sluggish waters that is often raised for food;
Ben, you know that I have never insulted local communities! UNLESS somewhere there is a community of incompetent council officers intent on costly and impractical public transport systems complete with sycophantic hangers-on?
Did you take the week off? Or were you temporarily silenced by your LibDem masters?”
by KBillies
Tuesday, May 15 2012, 10:25PM
“DM Fishponds it is sometimes helpful to express a clear position on the matters affecting us all and not just play the tune of the day.
So as your pal Rees-Mogg recently said stiffen your sinews and imitate the action of a tiger, not like a troll from Bristol North”
by pixel_boy
Tuesday, May 15 2012, 10:17PM
“But George how can you be independent...?
You were a Liberal Democrat Councillor.
That's Tory Lite.”
by DM_Fishponds
Tuesday, May 15 2012, 9:55PM
“It's a wonder that the LibDems and those of similar ilk encourage @KBillies to lobby for them.
His enthusiastic words of support for various LibDems are the kiss of death.
They would be better asking him to keep quiet.
For everyone else his sycophantic comments serve the purpose of identifying LibDems and their intentions.”
by FwdThinker
Tuesday, May 15 2012, 9:03PM
“By putting" Bristol First" does that mean he will lend his support in ending the farce that has become Bristol City's desire to build a 21st century sports stadium in Ashton Vale. If Mr Ferguson is genuine in his wish to reach out to all sides of the social spectrum how about doing something orginal and sadly all to rare in this country by supporting and help facilitate something that the majority want for a change.
All deserve to be heard but if he really wants to be as revolutionary as is his mantra would indicate in the above article he will have to offer more than trying to please everyone and ending up pleasing no one which is the sterotypical liberal stand point and sadly is the epitaph of the Council's handling of this most important investment in South Bristol to date.”
by KBillies
Tuesday, May 15 2012, 8:50PM
“Hopefully DM Fishponds has moved off this forum.
All he does is carp and insult local communities.”
by davetrigger
Tuesday, May 15 2012, 8:47PM
“The 30,000 plus who signed the petition for the stadium need to vote against this joker. Isn't he one of the merry band of 'lower Clifton' who have held up major private investment in South Bristol? Lets have a Bristolian Mayor for Bristol.”