Behind every politician is a fixer. After a stint as a councillor during the New Labour era, for many years Kelvin Blake has worked behind the scenes as a key figure in the city’s Labour party.
Blake, who also sits on the boards of a number of local organisations, worked on key campaigns that have seen Labour secure the lion’s share of political power. These have included those of the mayor, Marvin Rees, and Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy.
But what exactly goes on in the engine room of the local political machine? Where next for Labour as the Greens challenge the party’s establishment status? And how has a life-threatening motorbike accident almost two decades ago – which left him unable to walk – shaped his worldview?
Join Neil for a fascinating peek behind the curtain of power in our city.
Comments
Related content
Listen: Bristol Unpacked with Green councillor Ani Townsend on art, inequality and the case for a universal basic income
Should the state give people free money? This week Ani and Neil discuss how a universal basic income would work, why supporting the arts is a class issue, and whether ‘eco-populist’ Green leader Zack Polanski can take on the traditional parties – and Reform.