‘Marvin has served as a role model and inspiration for many’ |

Comments

Davva23-1205

Sunday Mar 13, 2022 - 10:16am

"...ancient Greek writers were well aware of the tendency for elections to throw up charismatic leaders with tyrannical pretensions. This is why they considered elections an aristocratic mode of political appointment, quite at odds with democratic principles..." (Graeber and Wengrow, 2021) If you want greater democracy in Bristol, get ride of the position of Mayor.

AV101-3304

Friday Mar 4, 2022 - 4:12pm

Marvin has lost my vote, his decision to cancel temple island arena was a very naive move, he clearly hasn't understood Bristol or a city's needs, driving visitors away. Destination venues should be in the city centre, not only for its convenient location, existing transport links, but a massive bonus for all city centre business benefiting on the extra footfall. Now Bristol zoo is leaving the city, yet more visitors & tourist income lost. both destination sites should never have been sold off for housing or offices.

Happy-2237

Friday Mar 4, 2022 - 2:02pm

I think that it was Councillor Williams who was the first black lord Mayor of Bristol in the 80's? I thought then that the world had changed. We all know that isn't true. I don't think that he served a whole term due to political point scoring. Just like some of the comments I have read about him. I think Marvin Rees is doing well in an extremely difficult job and I think siting the Arena in Filton was a bold and clever decision.

MidwifefromManchester-4964

Friday Mar 4, 2022 - 12:37pm

Was not sure how to vote in May but these comments have helped a lot. Seems if we get a bad mayor there is nothing anyone can do. Seems a bit like putting someone who is very good at putting a good image forward so that people vote for them and then following their own agenda must be a system open to corruption and greed. I like the idea of a Mayor but not one who is corrupted by power. Will vote against. Thanks guys.

Talbothill-3116

Friday Mar 4, 2022 - 11:26am

I honestly don’t know of anyone who has anything positive to say about our current elected mayor. I did feel the same about his predecessor, but at least he is now saying the city mayor role should be scrapped. If Rees carries on, many small businesses in the centre of Bristol will close, more larger companies will re-locate and what remains of the city centre will be nothing more than a student playground. "Role Model?" Is he having a laugh?

BowLeggedChicken-2137

Friday Mar 4, 2022 - 10:31am

That's really scrapping the bottom of the barrel. The only councillor who can be found to speak up for Marvin is one you've never heard of...

AndrewVarney-2162

Friday Mar 4, 2022 - 8:42am

There are countless examples why the mayoral experiment has failed. A good one to start with is the Bristol Arena debacle. Back in September 2018 I came to City Hall for the very first time. It was on the occasion of the Extraordinary Full Council Meeting to discuss the location of the Bristol Arena and I made my first speech from the Public Gallery. In my speech, I pointed out that a city centre location would be a lot more sustainable than an out of town one. It would promote public transport and active travel, it would boost tourism, it would support the city centre economy and it would provide much needed employment opportunities for South Bristol, so often overlooked. Pretty much everyone who spoke cited Temple Meads as their preferred location. Members of the public wanted Temple Meads, our local MPs wanted Temple Meads and Bristol city councillors overwhelmingly wanted Temple Meads, as we saw in the subsequent vote. Yet the very next day the mayor completely disregarded the people of Bristol and cancelled the city centre arena. It was pretty clear the mayor had made up his mind well before the Emergency Full Council meeting so the whole occasion had been a complete waste of everyone’s time. Of course, under the directly elected mayoral system, the mayor was absolutely entitled to do so and that is why the mayoral system is so wrong. It puts too much power into the hands of one person, who can ignore debates, motions and votes in full council and who can make decisions behind closed doors with unelected city elites who face no scrutiny or accountability. And when the decisions are bad ones, as is so often the case with this current incumbent, there is nothing we can do about it. And almost four years later, what has happened at the Temple Meads site? Absolutely nothing. We have a muddy marsh with two expensive bridges to nowhere. What a fitting metaphor for a mayoral system that has delivered so little for Bristol and wasted so much money. The referendum on 5 May gives Bristolians a chance to have their say on the mayoral system following the ten-year failed experiment. It’s time to let the people of Bristol have their say. It’s time for a people’s vote. #ScrapTheMayor

Sambs-6356

Friday Mar 4, 2022 - 7:57am

I’d say Marvin is a controversial figure too Marley, you just happen to be from the same party so it suits you at the moment. The mayoral system feels like it should be accountable - having one person to focus on, listen to, blame etc. But the reality is once they’re elected they can do whatever they want and there’s little anyone else can do. The disdain Marvin has shown for anyone that tries to question him has been disgusting. The “squabbling” you decry is called debate and it’s a healthy part of democracy. It’s time we stopped putting Bristol’s fate in the hands of a single egotistical man. Scrap the mayor!