Alex Hartley, the Lib Dem councillor who ‘prides himself on being a thorn in the mayor’s side’, led the vote on securing the referendum on whether to scrap the mayor. Representing Hotwells and Harbourside, Alex Hartley has compared the mayoral system to a post-Soviet oligarchy. Is this ridiculous exaggeration by a party set to gain the most from an insider’s political dispute, or a fair comment on a lack of true democracy in Bristol’s City Hall? Listen in with Neil who unpacks the issue with our first guest in a mini-series on the referendum set for 5th of May.
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