Bristol mayor confirms final cabinet positions

The appointment of the seventh and final member has put a lid on any ideas Bristol’s mayor might appoint a ‘rainbow cabinet’.

Marvin Rees announced on Wednesday that Tom Renhard, a newly elected Labour councillor and director for campaign group Acorn, will take on the role of cabinet lead for housing.

The mayor also revealed there will no longer be a dedicated portfolio holder for education, with Helen Godwin taking on responsibility for this alongside her work on women and families.

Rees himself will take the lead on transport, planning and city design, portfolios previously held by Kye Dudd and Nicola Beech respectively. Dudd lost his council seat in the elections on May 7 and Beech is now the cabinet member for climate, ecology, waste and energy.

The so-called ‘Green surge’ that saw them win enough council seats to become the joint largest party in Bristol, alongside Labour, sparked speculation that the re-elected mayor might return to the notion of a cross-party cabinet.

Speaking last week, Rees poured doubt on such speculation, saying that there is still “the need to build some trust” between his ruling administration and the opposition parties.

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Read more: Rainbow cabinet almost certainly ruled out by Rees

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On his latest and final cabinet appointment, the mayor said: “Addressing the housing crisis and building more affordable homes remains one of our top priorities, and we know that Tom has a lot of experience working in housing and as a new councillor will bring a fresh perspective.

“Tom has worked with Acorn supporting tenants and campaigning for housing rights for many years, and he has a vast amount of knowledge to share with us. Providing homes that people can afford and creating communities where people feel proud to live remain two of our main goals.”

Tom Renhard will take on responsibility for housing – photo by Bristol Design 2021

Priorities for Renhard will include tackling the housing crisis by working to fulfil Rees’ campaign pledge to build 2,000 homes a year by 2024, of which 1,000 are affordable. He will also be pursuing the implementation of a living rent in the city to make renting more affordable and taking a ‘housing first’ approach to supporting people with complex needs who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The latest announcement comes the day after Paula O’Rourke, a Green councillor for Clifton, urged the mayor to give her party “real influence and power”.

Speaking at the full council meeting, O’Rourke said: “Cabinet is where decisions are made and the holders of cabinet office are the members with the decision-making power which shapes the future of the city.

“From the correspondence and dialogue that I’ve been having with citizens, it’s clear that they believe that Greens should be involved in the leadership of the city and they expected that we would be offered cabinet posts.”

She added: “Here’s our offer – we will be a powerful ally when we see that the mayor is moving in the right direction, and we will provide strong, principled opposition, challenging him to change course when we see him going in the wrong direction.

“And our ask? That you respect the will of the people of Bristol who voted for Green councillors to be given real influence and power in decision-making.”

The so-called ‘Green surge’ sparked speculation Rees might appoint a rainbow cabinet – photo by Ellie Pipe

Talking about his additional cabinet responsibilities, the mayor said improving Bristol’s transport network will be key to developing the city.

He added: “Our cabinet appointments allow us to focus on delivering on our commitments, and work to tackle the issues of inequality and make Bristol a city where everyone can prosper.”

The full makeup of the new cabinet is as follows:

• Mayor Marvin Rees – lead on transport, planning and city design
• Craig Cheney – deputy mayor and cabinet member for finance, governance and performance
• Asher Craig – deputy mayor and cabinet member for communities, equalities and public health
• Helen Godwin – cabinet member for families, education and women (lead member for children’s services)
• Helen Holland – cabinet member with responsibility for adult social care
• Nicola Beech – cabinet member for climate, ecology, waste and energy
• Tom Renhard – cabinet member for housing delivery and homes

Main photo courtesy of Bristol City Council 

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