Marvin Rees Becomes UK’s First Elected Black MayorPosted in Articles, Media Archive, Politics/Public Policy, United Kingdom on 2016-05-15 00:59Z by Steven |
Marvin Rees Becomes UK’s First Elected Black Mayor
The Voice
2016-05-14
‘I’m the descendant of Jamaican slaves. Now I’m mayor of Bristol,’ Rees tells The Voice
BRISTOL’S NEW mayor has not only changed the face of the city after winning a huge victory but is also promising a new and inclusive way of doing politics.
Marvin Rees, 44, told The Voice in an exclusive interview: “I’m really honoured and feel the weight of the challenge I’m taking on. It’s also very exciting. I’m pleased so many good people are coming forward, wanting to work collectively, which I think this job requires. It’s not messianic leadership. It’s about fostering collective leadership around shared priorities such as poverty eradication, building homes for people and tackling inequality.”
Rees, who grew up poor in the St Paul’s area of the city, has pledged to appoint an all-party cabinet that reflects how people voted and the city’s diversity.
In 2012 Rees unsuccessfully ran for mayor when the post was first created. He amassed a whopping 31,259 votes, losing to independent George Ferguson, a wealthy architect, by less than seven per cent.
This time Rees notched up just under 70,000 votes, almost 30,000 more than Ferguson…
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