Bristol Greens announce formation of shadow cabinet

The joint largest political group on Bristol City Council has elected a shadow cabinet in a bid to provide stronger opposition to the ruling Labour-only group.

The Greens won as many seats as Labour in May’s local elections but were excluded from the Labour-only cabinet handpicked by mayor Marvin Rees.

Now the 24-strong group led by Clifton councillor Paula O’Rourke has elected 12 of its members to create a job-sharing shadow cabinet which largely mirrors the mayor’s eight-member ruling group.

Shadow cabinet members will between them share nine portfolios, one more than the Labour group, after splitting a very large portfolio into two to reflect a greater focus on climate and ecology.

Announcing the shadow cabinet on Tuesday, O’Rourke told a full council meeting: “The purpose of this body is to have lead members in each of the portfolios, and by having strong, well-informed leads in each of the cabinet portfolios we will be best placed to hold the administration to account.”

O’Rourke has taken on the same portfolio as Rees, planning and city design.

Green councillors Heather Mack and Katy Grant are up against deputy mayor Craig Cheney, with finance, governance and performance.

Barry Parsons and Ani Stafford-Townsend have communities, culture, equalities and public health, a slightly renamed version of deputy mayor Asher Craig’s brief.

Christine Townsend, who has 25 years of experience in state education, takes on education, families and children’s services, opposite Labour’s Helen Godwin.

Lorraine Francis and Tim Wye are sharing adult social care, held by Helen Holland on the Labour cabinet. Francis is an experienced social worker and Wye has headed up commissioning of social care for adults in both the council and the NHS.

The very large portfolio of climate, ecology, waste and energy held by Labour’s Nicola Beech has been split into two by the Green shadow cabinet, with Carla Denyer and Lily Fitzgibbon taking on climate and ecology, and Martin Fodor responsible for waste and energy. Fitzgibbon was a founding member of Bristol’s climate youth strikes, and Denyer successfully pushed for Bristol to be the first city to declare a climate emergency.

Tony Dyer takes on housing, delivery and homes for the Greens, opposite Labour’s Tom Renhard.

The Green group have created a shadow cabinet position for transport and active travel, held by David Wilcox – Photo by Martin Booth

Transport has a slightly different focus under the Greens, with David Wilcox responsible for a portfolio called transport and active travel. The Labour cabinet brief of transport was recently handed to Don Alexander by the Labour mayor.

Announcing the details of her shadow cabinet on Friday, O’Rourke said: “We hope to work collegiately with the Labour cabinet as much as possible to get the best for Bristol.

“While we will aim to be a critical friend to the administration wherever we can, we also won’t shy away from using our strength in the council to call out the administration, or hold the Labour mayor and cabinet to account where needed.

“The Green Shadow Cabinet will be a voice for social and environmental justice across Bristol. We will press the council for the bold action the city needs, whether on housing, transport or the climate emergency.”

Amanda Cameron is a local democracy reporter for Bristol

Main photo courtesy of Bristol Green Council Group

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