Meet the Bristol mayor candidate: Sandy Hore-Ruthven

Sandy Hore-Ruthven is feeling optimistic as he outlines his ambitions for Bristol and its economic recovery should he secure the city’s top job in May.

It has been a long campaign for the Green mayoral candidate, who was the first contender to throw his hat into the ring back in September 2018, when he promised to be the antidote to the ‘them and us’ rhetoric that shapes national narratives for his foray into politics.

More than two years on and his priorities may have shifted slightly in the wake of the global pandemic, but Hore-Ruthven is more determined than ever.

“People have had time to think about everything from climate change to pollution and inequality,” he says. “There’s a realisation that inequalities are a much bigger issue than many people thought.”

The CEO of Creative Youth Network (CYN) is sitting on a sofa in one of the vast upstairs rooms inside The Station, which was bought by the charity in 2009 and opened its doors as a city centre youth hub in 2012.

Despite the Greens’ Tony Dyer coming in fourth in the 2016 mayoral race – behind Labour incumbent Marvin Rees, independent former mayor George Ferguson and Conservative Charles Lucas – Hore-Ruthven insists he is in with a fighting chance when Bristol goes to the polls on May 6.

Although this is his first time standing, he does have some insight into the mayoral system as his wife, Zoe, was the head of the mayor’s office under Ferguson.

“I’m almost certain it will be me versus Labour and I think we can win,” says Hore-Ruthven, arguing a fairer voting system, such as the supplementary voting system used in the mayoral elections, has favoured Greens before.

It’s a mission he is taking very seriously. “The reason I want to be mayor is that I think we can make more change than we currently are,” says the Green candidate.

“I feel frustrated that there are things we could do that would be good for the environment and good for people in the city and we are not moving forward with these.”

He gives the example of poor public transport connections to south Bristol, meaning young people struggle to travel to work and back, arguing better and cheaper buses would benefit both the environment and communities.

One of Hore-Ruthven’s key pledges is to introduce half-price bus travel for under-21s, a move he says will give young people access to opportunities while reducing emissions and air pollution.

Sandy Hore-Ruthven criticised Marvin Rees’ decision to move the arena from near Bristol Temple Meads to Filton

He has been critical of Rees on a number of issues, including the decision to move the long-awaited arena from near Temple Meads to Filton.

The Green candidate was also outspoken about the failings around Bristol Energy when final losses were revealed in January, despite saying in 2019 the council should continue to invest in the beleaguered company.

Often to be seen in a checked shirt and jacket, the mayoral hopeful looks every bit the respectable charity CEO. But back in the day, you’d have likely found him living up trees or in tunnels as he joined protesters seeking to block the Newbury Bypass in the 1990s – grassroots action that made national headlines and saw eco-warrior Swampy shoot to fame.

Hore-Ruthven’s dad ran an international charity, which he says meant as a child he mixed with different people from all over the world. “I had this crazy upbringing with lots of fascinating people coming through the house,” he says, reminiscing fondly on his time growing up in London.

After receiving a scholarship to attend Christ’s Hospital, Hore-Ruthven went on to sixth form at Oxted County school and then to Plymouth University, where he studied environmental sciences.

When he moved to Bristol, the Green candidate took up a job with Friends of the Earth and from there moved into youth work – also taking a lead role in lobbying the council to introduce a kerbside recycling collection system when recycling was still an emerging industry.

So why the shift into politics?

“I got to the point where I thought there’s more I could do and I can use the experience I’ve got,” says Hore-Ruthven, who lives in Brislington with Zoe and has two adopted children, who are 19 and 20.

“Creative Youth Network was a tiny little charity when I took it on in 2006 – now the turnover is about £5m a year and we work with about 10,000 young people a year.

“I want to bring that experience to the wider city. I feel this administration has stood back from making the bold decisions they need to make.”

Sandy Hore-Ruthen is optimistic of his chances on May 6 – photo by Jon Craig

Economic recovery comes front and centre of the Green mayoral manifesto, which also promises to double employment support offered by the council to young people seeking work, make green and active travel the most convenient choice, build 2,000 council homes by 2030 and retrofit all council houses to make them energy-efficient.

The Green candidate is keen to stress the point that his party is not a one-issue vote.

“There’s a perception that the Green Party only cares about green issues but my working life has been about making Bristol a better place by giving young people an opportunity to thrive,” he says. “I want to see jobs in the city I want to see local people get local jobs.”

The Greens have twice pulled out all the stops to see their second MP elected in Bristol West – but each time lost out to Labour incumbent Thangam Debbonaire. Away from the core support concentrated in more affluent areas such as Southville, Redland and Clifton, does Hore-Ruthven think the wider city is likely to vote for a Green mayor?

“A lot of communities are looking for an alternative because they have been forgotten and they are looking for someone who will invest in them,” he says.

“Inequality and climate change are really key issues that we need to worry about. If there is one thing we have all learned in the last year, it’s life brings us surprises and we need leadership that cannot just survive but thrive.”

Main photo by Aphra Evans

Read more: Meet the Bristol mayor candidate: Caroline Gooch