The new lord mayor of Bristol criticised top city councillors for poor quality of debate over a speech by Marvin Rees. Green Cllr Paula O’Rourke had been sworn in to the ceremonial role, which includes chairing full council meetings, minutes earlier on Tuesday (May 24) when she gave party leaders a telling off for their pre-scripted remarks after the address by the city’s directly elected mayor.
Mr Rees said his speech to annual council contained “real substance” about the crises facing Bristol unlike the opposition groups’ replies and that many members used the City Hall chamber for political “theatre” and grabbing headlines instead of serious debate. Cllr O’Rourke found herself agreeing with the Labour mayor and pointed out that the agenda item was called “Mayor's address to full council with party group leader responses”.
She told the meeting: “I’m not making a political point here but I am saying the quality of debate must be better. What is the topic here? In my year here in this chair I don’t have a huge amount of influence or power, but if the mayor is making a speech and you‘re supposed to be responding, I would really try to urge and encourage people to have debates that actually respond to what we’re talking about – not just on this issue but on everything.
