Review of today’s mayoral referendum result. The ‘Yes’ campaign won a majority in Bristol on about 5000 votes which is a 6.7% majority on a 25% turnout, but concerns are being raised by elected member’s question over why the ballot boxes were kept overnight in a highly politicised private business premises, Bristol City Football Club at Ashton Gate, owned by tax exile and long time critic of Bristol City Council Stephen Lansdown, giving him and his colleagues to possibility of interfering in the electoral process overnight. Whitehall and Westminster stranglehold over our Bristol politics. Mayor will be able to appoint well paid ‘advisers’. Former slave traders ‘The Merchant Venturers’, local paper ‘The Post’ and the business community of Bristol appear to annoint architect and Merchant Venturer, George Ferguson, as their favoured candidate for mayor in November 2012. Shambles extraordinaire as we ask sould there have been a referendum at all when we still do not know what the mayor’s powers will be? We’re also joined by Craig Clarke who intends to stand for mayor in November 2012. We look at the changing career trajectories of Members of Parliament who are looking more like Public Relations agents for The City of London than public servants. Proposal of Cllr. Tim Kent to ‘get tough’ with First Bus and take over Bristol’s Buses? Perhaps. Argentina and Bolivia begin to privatise foreign owned energy companies. Thames Water have closed 25 reservoirs causing bizarre ‘water shortages’ during a spell of 180 flood warnings in Southern England. Could water bill payers and Thames Water be the victims of yet another EU directive?
