At the count.
The atmosphere inside the University West of England's exhibition centre was tense today during the count for Bristol's first elected Mayor. Ballot papers were counted twice after the first count revealed a tie between Labour candidate Marvin Rees and independent candidate George Ferguson. Rumours swept the room that the second count would reveal George 'Red Trousers' Ferguson was in the clear. Nontheless, we waited for the official count announcement... 'George Ferguson is Bristol's first elected mayor'.
George Ferguson, who won 35.13% of the vote, beamed as he took to the podium to give his winning speech. He promised he would govern the city "for the people" with a thriving industry, more jobs and better transport, well for the 37,000 voters who chose him. At least there was a marginal improvement of voter turnout in Bristol; 28% instead of the 24% in the referendum. Marvin Rees addressed this disenfranchisement in his speech, highlighting the importance of "bringing people from all walks of life to the decision-making table". I hope George decides this challenge is worthy of his mayorship and tackles the miasma of political apathy that Bristol is steeped in.
As I listened to our new mayor's inaugural speech, I was struck by a subtle irony of the situation. Bristol is a city with a turbulent past. It was a burgeoning economic powerhouse during the slave-trade era, whose legacy is still embedded within its stones and business establishments. We have streets named Whiteladies Road and Black Boy Hill, a music hall named after the city's most prolific slave trader Edward Colston and a society of Merchant Venturers. One of these Merchant Venturers is now mayor. Then I looked at his red trousers and thought 'what statement is George trying to make?'. I interpret his red trousers as an attempt to disrupt the status-quo in a society where pivotal policy and economic decisions are made by grey, black or blue suits.
Women in Power
Daniella Radice of the Green party, the only female candidate standing for Mayor was fifth with 5.89% of the vote is an excellent political role-model, for both genders. She is passionate about increasing public participation in politics and has a considered approach to solving many of Bristol's problems in a systemic way; recognising that it is the connections between skilled experts from various backgrounds that create and deliver solutions.
Independent candidate Sue Mountsteven, the new Avon and Somerset Police Commisioner promises to "keep politics out of policing" and "make victim focussed policing a reality". I hope Bristol's streets become safer for women as a result of her leadership.
Bristol is a great city with even greater challenges.
My hopes for Bristol are slightly more specific than creating a 'great city'. Obviously George will attempt to improve our transport (earmarked in the £370 m 2012-2013 budget), housing and unemployment but I hope he focuses on education; which is in dire need of seismic improvement and underpins many of the aforementioned issues. In 2012, Bristol ranked 136th out of 151 local authorities, yet we have more private schools than the national average for a city, a schism that characterises our socio-economic dichotomy. I regard creating 'greater equality' as Bristol's most pertinent problem and George's greatest challenge. To truly achieve 'greater equality' one must look beyond superficial societal constructs such as 'social mobility' a phrase that is almost self-fulfilingly prophetic with its inherent connotations of perpetual social-economic divides.
Although an architect, he will not get carried away with town planning as an immediate priority, as he is determined to regenerate Bristol socially and culturally. George, who drives an electric-powered SMART car recognises Bristol's strengths in pioneering sustainable ways of living that harmonise industrial interests with solving environmental challenges. His success with the Tobacco Factory, an abandoned building which now houses a theatre and cafe bar led to immediate increases in house price in the surrounding area.
I have a deep respect for the city in which I was born and raised in. That pride increases not due to great feats of architecture, such as the intended arena, but due to pioneering initiatives such as the Bristol pound. I am proud to be part of a community that embraces asylum-seekers, refugees and immigrants and celebrates our diversity. I hope that in four years time I can add the fact we have a mayor to that list. Only time will tell and the clock is ticking.