News / Politics
Move to committee system takes step forward
A new constitution for Bristol City Council has been approved by a vote of all councillors, apart from Bristol mayor Marvin Rees. From May the council will be run by several committees of councillors instead of a directly elected mayor.
Bristol voted in a referendum in May 2022 to scrap the role of the mayor after concerns that too much power was concentrated into one politician. This will finally take effect from May 3, the day after the next local elections.
For months since the referendum, a group of councillors have been thrashing out the new rules on how the council will be governed.
is needed now More than ever
The new constitution was presented during a full council meeting on Tuesday, which also included a debate about a ceasefire in Palestine and the passing of a motion to turn empty buildings into homes.
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Every councillor present in the chamber voted to pass the new constitution, however Rees abstained from voting.
He has previously warned the council might struggle without a clear figurehead leading the organisation, speaking to the government and other groups.
Green councillor for Cotham Guy Poultney said: “This new constitution represents a significant step forward for the city — a move to a less centralised, more collaborative way of working.
“The constitution reflects compromise between parties and members with different values and assumptions.”
Labour councillor for Eastville Marley Bennett added: “Drafting something as broad and as important as a constitution is never going to be easy. But so many of the major decisions we made in the committee model working group passed unanimously — or nearly unanimously.
“This is a constitution that all parties have shaped and have influenced.”
People in Bristol voted to change the way the city is governed in a mayoral referendum in May 2022 – photo: Betty Woolerton
Instead of a mayor, directly elected by voters, the council will be run by a council leader, chosen by a majority of councillors. This is how most councils in the country are run. Councillors in turn are chosen by voters, during local elections.
Critics of this system say voters are one step removed from deciding who is in charge. Supporters say giving powers to councillors to decide the council leader allows them to boot out anybody unpopular in between local elections — which can’t happen with mayors.
Instead of cabinet members, responsible for different parts of the council like transport, there will be policy committee chairs, who will be the go-to politicians for specific issues. These will largely mirror the current cabinet positions, albeit with some minor differences.
The new constitution will be reviewed after six months, giving the council an opportunity to adapt and adjust if any new ways of working turn out to be impractical or imperfect.
Later down the line, more powers will be devolved to local communities across Bristol, with nine area committees planned to have a say on issues like highways, bins and parks.
Main photo: Mersina Booth
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