Bristol mayor election candidate Alastair Watson - Conservative former Lord Mayor

The people of Bristol are set to vote for the city's next elected mayor on May 6, 2021.

Nine candidates have thrown their hat into the ring, including the Conservative Party’s Alastair Watson.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has asked all nine candidates to supply 300 words outlining why they should be the next mayor of Bristol.

Mr Watson has made the following appeal to Bristol voters:

I am a businessman, former city councillor and Lord Mayor of Bristol.

My experience in business, and as a member of council, means that I have the knowledge and capability to ensure that I will head up a competent administration for Bristol City.

I pledge to reduce the huge waste at City Hall and curtail the extravagant spend on vanity projects. I was vehemently opposed to the creation of the Bristol Energy company in 2016 and its potential impact on council finances. This company should have been closed down much sooner by the current Mayor. The £50m of wasted money could have funded investment in our parks, public toilets, libraries, sports and leisure facilities.

I pledge to:

1. Stop the waste at City Hall. There will be no more high-risk, vanity projects and I will reduce the bloated cost of the Mayor’s Office.
2. Support the Police. I will work with the Chief Constable and the Police and Crime Commissioner to bring back order for the law-abiding citizens of Bristol.
3. Deliver more affordable housing. I will work in partnership with housing developers to bring forward developments that provide affordable housing for key workers.
4. Better transport for Bristol. I will work with the Regional Mayor to deliver more rail links, better bus services and improved infrastructure for active travel.
5. Referendum on the Mayoral system. I will campaign to give you a vote on whether to scrap the Mayor and bring back proper democratic scrutiny to the city.

The Labour Mayor has failed - money lost on risky projects, no arena built, housing targets missed, shocking scenes of violence in our city centre and the Colston Hall project mismanaged. I want to change this.

Let’s deliver good services and value for money for taxpayers. Bristol deserves better.

Read about the other candidates in the mayoral election here - and use our search tool to see who is standing in your area for Bristol City Council and other local elections on May 6.