News / Bristol
Jeremy Corbyn in Bristol to launch metro mayor campaign
Labour drafted in the political heavyweight of leader Jeremy Corbyn in efforts to get its campaign for metro mayor off to a flying start in Bristol.
The party’s top dog took to the stage in The Greenway Centre, Southmead, on Friday, to make the case for candidate Lesley Mansell as the women for the job as all-powerful head of the West of England, with her promise to “change the way we do things and put people first”.
Plagued with widespread voter apathy and tipped as a two-horse race between the Lib Dems and Tories, the metro mayor elections on May 4, are looking like a tough battle for Labour – which has faced criticism from within its own factions for not fielding candidates with more ‘clout’.
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But flanked by Corbyn and mayor Marvin Rees, Mansell maintained she has every intention of winning with her pledges on affordable and social housing, jobs, green policies and ‘securing the best business deal for the region’.
If not exactly packed to the rafters, The Greenway Centre, was certainly full of enthusiastic Corbyn supporters as he spoke on the need to invest in education and infrastructure, slammed selective grammar schools and indulged in a healthy dose of Tory-bashing – all to rapturous applause.
On his first official visit since the tragic Westminster terrorist attack on Wednesday, Corbyn said: “Democracy must go on. As a community, we must come together and not blame people because of their nationality or ethnicity. Communities are stronger together.”
He went on to praise Rees for his work in building affordable housing and said the Government should take a leaf out of the Bristol mayor’s book.
Corbyn called the metro mayor elections an opportunity to talk about issues of heath, housing, planning and the economy, adding that he is pleased to be supporting Mansell as “the kind of leader to bring leaders and communities together”.
He went on to deliver a scathing attack on the Government’s “failure” to deliver vital improvements to the south west rail network, adding that Labour would invest in Bristol and make it a city in which “young people have a chance”.
The Labour leader argued the problem with selective grammar schools is the word ‘selective’ and said while prime minister Theresa May speaks of “creating a ladder of opportunity,” he would rather “have a broad staircase that all our children can go up together.”
Taking to the podium, Mansell said: “I am standing because I want to change the way we do things and, for me, its people first. The West of England is one of the wealthiest parts of the country but, for many, it’s still a struggle to get on the housing ladder and a struggle for people on low pay.”
The elected West of England mayor will have a £120m pot of money from central Government to spend over a four-year period and Mansell promised to ensure this is spent in a transparent manner.
A strong Corbynite, Mansell is a Radstock-based parish councillor who works as an NHS equality and diversity manager and says she is already well on the campaign trail in a bid to win people over before they go to the polls on Thursday, May 4.
Adding his endorsement, Rees said Mansell is the person to reach across party differences – something that will be required to get the job done.
Read more: Metro mayor deal signed – but who’s running?
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