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Bristol Labour confirms councillors will not join Independent mayor’s cabinet

November 25, 2012 5:54 pm

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Recently rumours have circulated that Labour councillors could choose to join the cabinet of “independent” (ex-Lib Dem) Mayor George Ferguson in Bristol. This evening the Labour Party has ruled that out (after much to-ing and fro-ing), with a spokesperson saying:

“After further careful consideration and after listening to a wide range of views across Bristol, and the wider Labour Party, we have decided not to enter the cabinet.

We will support the Mayor when we agree with his decisions, and we want to be free to offer constructive alternatives when we believe a better solution is available.

We will continue as a Labour Party to work with the local communities we represent, and to do our best for the people of Bristol.”

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  • http://twitter.com/DigitalJonathan Jonathan Phillips

    Bad decision.

    Short-sighted, petty, counter-productive: The election is lost but why not get involved and at least try and shape Bristol’s future from the inside until the next time?

    The party needs to understand how this is publicly interpreted. It infers that the Labour party was interested in power, but not Bristol’s future. It infers that the Labour party would rather snipe at the leadership from the sidelines than make a real difference.

    I speak as a Labour supporter when I say that this makes me angry. We’re better than this.

  • Redshift1

    Thank god. We can’t play a part in a cabinet supporting a mayor who balks at the living wage and other ideas.

  • Redshift1

    Thank god. We can’t play a part in a cabinet supporting a mayor who balks at the living wage and other ideas.

  • Redshift1

    Thank god. We can’t play a part in a cabinet supporting a mayor who balks at the living wage and other ideas.

  • notme3

    cowards

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray

    We really ought to be opposing these showy, pointless innovations. Get a petition together to reverse the mayoralty decision and it would almost definitely pass

  • tomkeeley

    In case anybody is under any illusions about negatively this decision is being received in Bristol look at the comments at the bottom of this article in the Bristol Evening Post. I can’t see anyway in which this helps Labour take Bristol West and Bristol N West in 2015.

    http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Labour-u-turn-angers-new-mayor-George-Ferguson/story-17425182-detail/story.html

  • aracataca

    The problem here is that he stood as an ‘Independent’ when he was in fact a Fib Dem. The Fibs did the same thing in the North Wales PCC elections. This is a new Fib Dem tactic and constitutes a new low even for them.It is of course very deceitful and deliberately misleads the electorate and that’s why the decision not to participate was made IMHO. If he was a genuine independent then there wouldn’t be an issue.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray

      We shouldn’t be having any truck with these ‘mayors’ at all. One of our worst recent ideas which should be buried

  • Nick Grant

    This NEC decision need to be overturned and quickly too. This decision will do immense damage to Labour’s real interests in Bristol. Last year I lapsed 40 yrs membership with office at every level of the Party to become simply a Labour Voter instead. It renders a great new perspective and I commend it to those commenting here who really ought to understand what drives the voter as distinct from internal party machinations.

    By just exactly what moral right does Labour resile from the opportunity to lead the administration in housing, transport and education at least until May? Labour was offered three out of six seats in the cabinet and has now now turned down the opportunity to prove its responsibility, capability and competence which was manifestly so absent in voter support on 15 November.

    If the NEC believes that Labour with ‘clean hands’ will be stronger in next May’s election the evidence already to hand refutes that beyond all doubt. Labour will not be forgiven in Bristol for a decade or more. The Labour Group – to its great credit – understood the huge outcry against the rumours. The NEC needs to get real, right now, before it’s too late.

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