My Endorsement of Helen Holland for Bristol Labour Mayoral Candidate

After attending the Bristol Labour Students Mayoral Hustings I have decided that (if I could) I would be voting for Helen Holland for our Labour candidate.

These are my personal opinions and not representative of Bristol Labour Students.

I believe Helen is the right candidate to win the mayoral election for Bristol. With her experience (as former council leader) in local politics she has a huge wealth of experience of the city and understands how an elected mayor can unlock the amazing potential of the city.

Helen realises that Bristol’s public transport is poor (due to unreliable services and increasingly high fares) which impacts upon many Bristolians lives on a daily basis. She has an ambitious vision for Bristol’s public transport system.  She wants to develop an oyster-style integrated travelcard incorporating bus, train and ferry in order to get the very best deal for Bristolians.

Helen places the importance of young people at the forefront of her campaign. As a former teacher and councillor for one of the most deprived wards in the city she acknowledges the disparities in schools and life opportunities seen across the city. Helen will strive to end the huge disparities in life chances seen between communities in Bristol.

As a young person living in the city and a student, I am convinced that Helen will deliver for young people and students alike.  Her stance against unpaid internships, in favour of the expansion of student bursaries and apprenticeships and the need to tackle the growing problem of youth and graduate employment demonstrates how she can connect and win for young people across Bristol.

She also supports the living wage and says that Bristol needs to build new quality council and social housing to deal with the problem the city faces from a lack of affordable housing. She cites the need for a comprehensive plan for Bristol incorporating the private sector, public sector, voluntary organisations, trade unions and education providers to provide an integrated city that works for everyone in Bristol not just the few.

Helen as mayor would have the ability to inspire people and the experience to maximise the potential of our already great city. I believe that if Helen was elected to be Labour’s candidate she would have the ability to reach out to the widest possible range of voters and would campaign for every last vote in order to get Bristol a Labour mayor.  For a local candidate who has the experience of delivering for Bristolians, the ability to empower people and who will deliver a better Bristol which works for all, I would urge you to vote for Helen to be Labour’s candidate for Mayor.