Over the last year how and who runs Bristol have completely changed with new politicians in charge and a new system of governing. After eight years of Labour, voters booted them out in favour of the Greens who mostly took control in May.
Eight policy committees, made up of councillors from different political parties, now run Bristol City Council. Six are chaired by Green councillors, while two are chaired by the Liberal Democrats.
The switch to a committee model finally happened in May, after 12 years of Bristol being led by a directly elected mayor, first the independent George Ferguson and then Labour’s Marvin Rees. The switch follows a city-wide referendum in 2022 after widespread anger at the mayors.
The local elections held in May were largely won by the Green Party, who fell just short of an outright majority. The leader and deputy leader of the council are now both Greens, and the policy committee chairs play a powerful role in deciding what the council does.
Labour was offered to take up some of the chairing roles, but declined and instead said they would prefer to be in opposition and scrutinise the decisions taken by the policy committees. However, Labour councillors are still on all the committees, and so they can influence decisions.
The surge in popularity of the Greens this year also saw Bristol elect its first ever Green MP. Carla Denyer, a former councillor, now represents the Bristol Central ward, after voters booted out the incumbent Labour MP Thangam Debbonaire. Ms Denyer also leads the national Greens.
But the switch to a committee model has suffered a few hiccups. Several times when the committees have met in public, councillors have appeared confused about how the new system operates. A review is taking place about the hiccups so far, and will suggest some changes.
On the other hand, how policy is thrashed out can now be observed in much greater depth by the public. Under the mayor, these debates mostly happened behind closed doors, with the final decision presented in public with much more consensus.
There are pros and cons to both models, with the new system proving less decisive but more compromising. Examples include long-running controversies with allotment rents and a cemetery expansion, which in recent months have progressed closer to a resolution.
Nevertheless, council bosses still face many of the insurmountable challenges that existed under the mayors. Funding from the government to local authorities has dramatically reduced since 2010, while demand for expensive council services such as social care is shooting up.