Bristol votes to remove directly elected mayor

The referendum saw 56,113 people (59.41%) vote to scrap the current mayoral model, while 38,439 voted to have an elected mayor.

A total of 94,937 votes were cast in a total of 332,028 constituencies, of which 379 failed. Voter turnout was 28.59% – higher than expected.

Results were announced at around 3:30 a.m. at Oasis Academy Brislington this morning (Friday, May 6).

It has received a standing ovation from members of It’s Our City Bristol, who are campaigning for a relinquishment of the role of mayor.

It has been almost 10 years since the first Bristol mayoral referendum, when voter turnout was 24% and the decision was made to take up the post of Mayor of Bristol.

Mary Page, co-founder of It’s Our City Bristol, said: “I want to thank the people of Bristol for voting in much larger numbers than last time.

“Thank you for trusting us and having faith in the system. I hope we can have positive changes in the city.”

Asked if he would personally receive the results, the current mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees replied: “I have made it clear that I will not run for re-election. This was never about me – it was about the system.

“It was important for me to step back and let the city decide. Numbers are numbers.

“I hope my fears about the commission system, and the massive consequences I think it will have, are wrong.”

He added that he would ‘continue to work hard for Bristol’ for the remaining two years of his term as mayor and that he hoped the momentum he had built for the city would be sustained.

This article was originally published on our sister title, BristolWorld