Bristol's Political History
Bristol's Political History
Since the medieval times, Bristol has been one of the few cities considered to be a county. In 1889, Bristol was officially given county status. Its status changed in April of 1974, when Avon was granted governmental control over the area. This came to an end in April of 1996 and Bristol was once again considered a county. Currently, Bristol is also seen as being a Unitary Authority.
Bristol's City Council, which is comprised of 70 councillors, represents 35 different wards. Two councillors are assigned to oversee each ward and their terms last for four years. The Labour party has been known for its dominance of the Council, but the Liberal Democrats have shown strengthen their control over the past several years. During a 2005 election allowed the Liberal Democrats to gain minority control. However, in 2007, the Labour party and the Conservatives teamed up to vote against the Liberal Democrat's administration. This led to the Labour party, with council leader Helen Holland, taking over minority administration. In June of 2009 the Liberal Democrat's power expanded when they gained four more council seats. This has granted them control of the City Council. The current Lord Mayor, Chris Davis, is from the Liberal Democratic Party.
While a future election is set to change Bristol's Westminster representation, there are currently 4 Westminster constituencies. These include: West, East, South and North-west. In addition, the built-up area outside of the administrative city is overseen by Kingswood and Northavon. These boundaries are still based on the county of Avon, which no longer exists. This is why a future election will make sure that the constituencies are within the city's boundaries. Filton and Bradley Stroke will be covering the area currently watched over by Kingswood and Northavon.
Known for its years of political activism, many influential individuals started in or are from Bristol. A few of these famous figures include Edmund Burke, Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence and Tony Benn. Starting in 1774, Burke served as a member of Bristol's constituency. Pethick-Lawrence, a British women's rights activist, was born in Bristol. Tony Been served as a Member of Parliament, for over three decades, for Bristol South East.
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