The votes have been counted and the results are in and George Ferguson has been declared the first Mayor elect of Bristol after securing a margin of 6,000 votes more than his closest rival, the Labour MP Marvin Rees.
Despite a disappointingly low turnout of just over 27%, Ferguson - standing as an independent candidate - was trailing at 4/1 against with the bookies against the Labour candidate Marvin Rees right up until the morning of the vote.
Rees got involved in politics through a non-profit organisation called 'Operation Black Vote' who were established in 1996 to address the serious deficit of Black and ethnic minority persons in political office. Had Marvin been successful he would have been the first time in Europe that a Mayor of Afro-Caribbean descent was directly elected.
George Ferguson has long een a recognisable figure on the Bristol scene, and owns a number of local businesses, including the Tobacco Factory, a multi-space project located in Bedminster which is home to a vibrant cafe, a busy theatre, apartments and work spaces as well as a performing arts and animation schools.
Ferguson is well aware of the challenges he faces, and is committed to working closely with candidates of all political persuasions in order to make the city the best that it can be. He commented that: "I dont see this as a vote for me, i see it instead as a vote for Bristol. Today we voted for a new way of doing things".
Although standing as an Independent candidate, Ferguson had around 300 supporters working and volunteering their time during his campaign, at a cost of just 50,000 - half of which was funded by donations and the other half his own money. He commented that "it was liberating not to have a party machine".
George is passionate about championing spirited individuals and independent organisations against the might of large corporations and over-bearing government, and much of his thinking is about how to protect the 'local' and 'independent' against the chains and multi-nationals that seem to be taking over the world.
And so it seems, as Bristol embarks on a new period of leadership under the guidance of Mr Ferguson, that the city is set for big changes in the way local businesses are treated and affected, as well as an increased spending and support for the arts and creative sectors. All of which sounds great, in theory. Lets just hope that theory is realised.
Despite a disappointingly low turnout of just over 27%, Ferguson - standing as an independent candidate - was trailing at 4/1 against with the bookies against the Labour candidate Marvin Rees right up until the morning of the vote.
Rees got involved in politics through a non-profit organisation called 'Operation Black Vote' who were established in 1996 to address the serious deficit of Black and ethnic minority persons in political office. Had Marvin been successful he would have been the first time in Europe that a Mayor of Afro-Caribbean descent was directly elected.
George Ferguson has long een a recognisable figure on the Bristol scene, and owns a number of local businesses, including the Tobacco Factory, a multi-space project located in Bedminster which is home to a vibrant cafe, a busy theatre, apartments and work spaces as well as a performing arts and animation schools.
Ferguson is well aware of the challenges he faces, and is committed to working closely with candidates of all political persuasions in order to make the city the best that it can be. He commented that: "I dont see this as a vote for me, i see it instead as a vote for Bristol. Today we voted for a new way of doing things".
Although standing as an Independent candidate, Ferguson had around 300 supporters working and volunteering their time during his campaign, at a cost of just 50,000 - half of which was funded by donations and the other half his own money. He commented that "it was liberating not to have a party machine".
George is passionate about championing spirited individuals and independent organisations against the might of large corporations and over-bearing government, and much of his thinking is about how to protect the 'local' and 'independent' against the chains and multi-nationals that seem to be taking over the world.
And so it seems, as Bristol embarks on a new period of leadership under the guidance of Mr Ferguson, that the city is set for big changes in the way local businesses are treated and affected, as well as an increased spending and support for the arts and creative sectors. All of which sounds great, in theory. Lets just hope that theory is realised.
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Hashim Javier writes regularly about all things Bristol for his site serviced accommodation bristol Past examples of his writing can be found here serviced flats bristol
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