Other publications

The Bristol Democracy Commission, which reported its findings in 2001, recommended a directly elected mayor for Bristol.

‘Modern local government: in touch with the people‘ was published by the then ‘Department of the Environment, Transport, and the Regions’ in 1998. It was the White Paper that set out the ‘New Labour’ government’s plans for the modernisation of local government.

The Localism Act 2011 included provisions requiring Bristol to hold a referendum in 2012 to decide whether or not to adopt a directly elected mayor. It also contained provisions which would enable councils to adopt the committee system. The ‘plain English guide to the Localism Act’ summarises these changes.