Let All Bristol Decide

Lead Petitioner: Terry Cook

Status: new > draft > rejected > accepted > collecting signatures > waiting submission > submitted to council > Pending owner response > closed > withdrawn

Petition

We call on all the councilors of Bristol City council to Let All Bristol Decide which political party (or parties) should run Bristol City Council by providing whole council elections in 2011.

Background Information

The political leadership of Bristol City Council is currently decided by 2/3rds of the electorate choosing 1/3rd of the city councilors 3 years in every 4. (Election by thirds). This system of voting means no party really has a mandate – and no one in charge can get on with the job without having one eye on the next round of elections. This leads to constant shifts in policy which leaves all those charged to deliver the key services to the city with no stable base on which they can take the city forward.

By moving to all out elections every four years political parties and others will be able to put forward how they would like the city to be run. All Bristol will be able to decide if they like these plans. The new administration would have four years to deliver their promises, if they don't all of Bristol will be able to kick them out.

Bristol, as a non Metropolitan District Council, has an obligation under the Local Government Act 2000 (as amended by the 2007 Act) to elect a leader with a term up to the end of their period as a councillor, this could be as much as four years. This change must take place from 2011. This petition asks the city councilors to take this a step further, again enabled by the act, by calling a special council meeting and voting to change the electoral system in Bristol. This change will require 2/3rds of the then councilors to vote for it. The Act allows for this to happen in Bristol in 2011. To achieve this the meeting and vote must be complete by the end of 2010.