‘Why I’m voting for George Ferguson’

Alistair Sawday

He has not been perfect, but Ferguson has shown willingness to bring all parties together to act decisively and boldly. He has real leadership skills coupled with an instinct for and knowledge of business.

My support is in the spirit of urgency, as I see him criticised for doing something that has been crying out for attention for decades: tackling car-dominance, pollution and resulting ill-health.

If we finally get it right, Bristol will set an example to cities all over the UK.

Alistair Sawday is a businessman, social entrepreneur and former Green Party member.

Abdul Malik

We need someone like Ferguson at the forefront of Bristol politics and during the last three years he has delivered a new type of leadership that gets things done in city hall and has removed the party political blockages that were stopping so much progress in the past.

As a community leader it is clear to me that George Ferguson is the person who can best represent the BME community in Bristol and he is also willing to listen to all communities in Bristol. I think that this was highlighted by the Mayor’s passionate response to the growing refugee crisis and his promotion of Bristol as a city of sanctuary for the most vulnerable in our society.

Abdul Malik was the 2015 Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Bristol East.

Shankari Edgar

My personal view is that you vote for someone who isn’t just after votes. If he has pissed you off in some way, think about the long term impact that decision makes and not how it affects your immediate pocket.

If he has taken too long to provide affordable housing remember it is still more than any other core city and consider how long it takes from inception to construction of something as simple as a house and then add bureaucracy, party politics and personalities to the fold.

George will only stand for one more term and deserves our vote to finish implementing what he has spent 18 hours a day for the last four years trying to move forward. 

Shankari Edgar is is an architect and founder of Nudge Group.

John Savage

From a businessman’s point of view, I do believe we have to have an economics approach to the future of Bristol, so I genuinely feel at this time that not to back George for a second term would be foolish.

He’s reorganised an administration which was overdue for that. He’s done some interesting and good things and from his manifesto I think he’s got some great ideas.

John Savage is chairman of Bristol Chamber of Commerce . He is also a former Labour candidate for Avon and Somerset police commissioner.

Simon Cook

Whatever anyone might think of the last three and a half years of George, he has not lacked bravery or vision. Bravery in taking the first steps in tackling traffic congestion with the introduction of parking schemes, progressing and changing the existing transport schemes like Metrobus and Metrowest rail.

Vision in the way that he has battled with Westminster to boost the city’s standing and gone out of his way to cultivate international links in order to spread the Bristol brand in his ever colourful way.

Simon Cook is an assistant mayor and a Lib Dem councillor.

Read more: ‘Why I’m voting for Marvin Rees’