Green candidate Sandy Hore-Ruthven has announced the first of three pledges he promises to deliver if he is elected as Bristol’s next mayor.
During his launch event at Easton Community Centre this morning (Wednesday, March 5) he promised to tackle climate change and homelessness.
He has vowed to build 2,000 new council homes by 2030 and retrofit the current 27,000 council homes to insulate them and make them more energy efficient, if he becomes Bristol's mayor on May 7.
Read Sandy Hore-Ruthven's speech in full here
During his speech today the Green candidate said his manifesto for the city was all about “action not words”.
He added: “It is a manifesto for change with real proposals, not vague promises that will be fulfilled sometime in the future.
“It is a manifesto to get Bristol moving, for a fair city and a green city.
“These things should not and cannot be separated - tackling climate change goes hand in hand with tackling inequality.
“Cleaning up our air goes hand in hand with better business and easing congestion goes hand in hand with healthier people and stronger communities.
“The changes we need to make are not easy, nor are they cheap, but we must tackle them with the urgency they require.
“My message to Bristol is that we must tackle housing and poverty as urgently as we tackle climate change.”
In addition to his pledge to build 2,000 new council homes, Mr Hore-Ruthven also committed to continued support for the private sector to build 2,000 homes across the city each year.
But said he would insist all new developments being built would need to be carbon neutral.
He also said by retrofitting council houses across the city tenants would save on average £300 a year on energy bills.
Mr Hore-Ruthven added: “Private sector developers consistently fail to meet targets for affordable homes.
“Far too many people are homeless and far too many are living in temporary and expensive accommodation while they wait for a home.
“And thousands of us are paying over the odds to heat poorly insulated properties. My solution is simple: We will build new and insulate the old.”
The remaining two pledges will be announced later this month, and the Green Party's full manifesto for the mayoral elections will be released in April.
It is not just the mayoral elections taking place in Bristol on May 7.
All 70 seats on Bristol City Council will also be up for grabs and residents across Avon and Somerset will have the chance to vote for a new Police and Crime Commissioner.
The other candidates standing in the Bristol mayoral election are Marvin Rees (Labour), Mary Page (Lib Dem), Samuel Williams (Conservative) and John Langley (Independent).
