The City of Bristol - What a State...

Currently in progress - our first State of the City Debate. This peculiar event is a conflation of a standard Full meeting of Bristol City Council with the American concept of a "State of the X address".

Most American political executive functions hold some form of annual address, from the President's "State of the Union" speech or Governor's "State of the State" address down to a Town Mayor's "State of the Town" speech. The American model is neither a debate, nor a legislative exercise. Rather it is a statement by the Executive of a given body to the respective Legislature, reporting on the previous year's activity and summarising future activity. The closest analogue in Britain is Her Majesty's Most Gracious Speech.

In point of fact, this is just a routine Full Council meeting. But the pretence of this "State of the City" event does reveal some of the problems with local government in Bristol.

The City Executive - the Cabinet - spends a great deal of time and money on the illusion of participation and consultation; conducting surveys and gathering opinion, for example the recent Citizens Jury on Waste & Recycling. And yet in their day-to-day activities, the Cabinet only use these outputs when they reinforce existing ideas and Council policy.

Disregarding the fluffiness and pointlessness of the whole exercise, what are the goals for the city? Our leader was pretty clear on that point - to be rated a 4-Star authority for public services. I don't know about you, but I'm filling up. I'm just overcome with civic pride at the thought of getting 4 stars from some end-of-career Westminster bureaucrat.

There is at least a "Report from the Leader of the Council", which gives the following grammatically absurd definition of next year's priorities:

• Our City: prosperous and ambitious
• Driving change - making a difference
• Our City: safer and healthier
• Our neighbourhoods

One interesting graph from the report - offered without reference - is a survey of local opinion on policy areas measured by "Need for Improvement" and "Importance". It is interesting to note that very little of the Council's time is spent productively on those areas which respondents regard as most important and most in need of improvement, particularly Levels of Crime. Time for a rethink on local policing, perhaps.