Mayor Marvin's pledge to make Bristol a 'City of Hope'
Marvin Rees is standing for a second term
by Marvin Rees, Mayor of BristolThe cabinet, Labour group and I have delivered so much for Bristol in the last 4 years.
From 8,244 new homes in the city, including affordable and council homes, to keeping older adults independently living in their own homes, to a clean streets campaign that is picking up as many awards and prizes as it is litter and the many achievements in between, we are proud of our record.
You only have to see the cranes in the city sky to recognise real change is happening and we are about to announce our 15 year plan for transport, to transform the way we move around the city and reverse decades of no investment and no ideas.
We have brought our values to the council and a real aspiration for the city, with pride in Bristol but with a vivid awareness – borne from our experiences growing up here – of how many people don’t benefit from the wealth in the city.
Lots of people do not succeed in the city no matter how hard they try. Their situation is made worse, not better, but those who deal only with single issues or who prefer the status quo to progressive change.
We can and should embrace all the positives about our city. But we have to acknowledge that Bristol must change.
Doing nothing – leaving things as they are – only benefits those who already enjoy wealth, culture, and power.
Bristol is a tale of two cities, emphasised by the 30,000 Bristolians working for less than the real Living Wage, the nearly 30% of children living in poverty and the 600 families living in emergency accommodation. We need to close those equality gaps.
Today, I have unveiled six pledges to Bristolians (below). Working collaboratively and inclusively with hundreds of key partners from across the whole city, we have pulled together a One City Plan to deliver for all Bristolians, with immediate priorities and right up to 2050.
In that spirit, my pledges will continue to change the city to a better and fairer Bristol, not turn back the clock to a city where nothing gets done. Instead, we must keep working together to build a City of Hope.
The next four years is a real opportunity for continuity of leadership – to keep making the change Bristol needs on May 7th.