Cotham
As in many wards in Bristol, especially in Bristol West constituency, the Green vote in Cotham has increased year on year, so that now only the Green Party are the serious challengers to the Liberal Democrats. The last election in Cotham was in 2009, when the Green Party's Geoff Collard got an impressive 23% of the votes and we maintained our clear second place well ahead of both Tory and Labour parties! 
The Green Party candidate for Cotham in this year's City Council elections is Graham Woodruff. Graham lives in Cotham and hopes to finally win this council seat for the Greens!
"I hope to build on the good work that Geoff has done in this ward, I am standing in the local council elections as I want to make a difference. I believe it is important that people are given an alternative to the big three parties. Labour deregulated the banks in the first place, the Tories have given rich tax avoiders jobs in government and the LibDems haven’t kept their promises.
The council has a smaller budget now and needs to cut spending. The budget is dictated by central government but we do have some say on how the money is spent.
Your LibDem council has wasted £363,000 on the failed World Cup bid when London only spent £61,000! Your LibDem council has also decided to sell off 40 areas of green spaces, despite large scale protests and have not let the public examine fully their reasons for doing so.
Not a good record and not the choices that a Green councillor would make. We would prefer money was spent on local services rather than large vanity projects, we would oppose the selling of your land at rock bottom prices to benefit property developers – we would fight for investment in the future - we already have one councillor in Southville doing this, more would mean the Green party would become the real alternative."
I’ve lived in Bristol for ten years, the last five in Cotham. I run a not for profit organisation that promotes art and drawing in the local community. I believe Bristol is a unique and world class city and I want a council that reflects this.
For information on Graham go to his blog here: http://www.grahamwoodruff.co.uk/
Find the latest 
Cotham Green Party newsletter here.
Cotham School Proposed Academy Status
The Green Party stands on a platform of social and environmental justice. We believe that education and health care are fundamental human rights, believe passionately in fully funded public services, and the Green Party is opposed to their privatisation.
With this philosophy, it is inevitable that the Green Party should oppose schools becoming academies. Cotham School is pushing to become an academy this September. This is without any real meaningful consultation with the parents (or teachers) at the school. The Green Party supports Cotham parents and staff who wish to see any decision delayed until there has been time for a proper debate. The application for Cotham to become an academy is in effect being presented as a fait accompli by a governing body which does not fully represent the school. Nearly half of the school's governors are not parents or teachers and so do not have any direct interest in the school. The decision whether Cotham should become an academy is such a major change that it should be for the parents to decide - not the governors.
The Green Party itself is opposed to academies, as we see them as a step on the road to privatisation. In particular, they represent increasing independence of schools from the state education system, and though this may sound attractive at first, make no mistake, it is nothing less than the beginning of the dismantling of free state education funded through general taxation. The disadvantages which this would mean for the less privileged in our society are obvious. That this should have been begun by the Labour Party of all parties is an indelible stain on their now shallow credentials as supposed protectors of the poor and disadvantaged; that the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are taking it much further, if unsurprising, is going to ensure ever greater inequalities in our society. The Green Party is today the only national political party defending our previously hard won public services.
Green Spaces
Local Communities
The Green Party believes passionately in local communities and actively supports the campaign to stop Tesco expanding their shops, and is especially opposed to their attempt to open a shop in Stokes Croft. Graham was active in the campaign against Sainsbury's at the bottom of Gloucester.
Public and Private Transport
We need to fund more public transport in Bristol so as to reduce traffic congestion and pollution, and the Greens have long been active in the campaign to save the Severn Beach railway line, pressuring the council to improve the service. This pressure, and especially that of the Friends of Suburban Bristol Railway (FOSBR) has led to the council finally supporting the line and its increasiing success is testament to that.
The Green Party has for years highlighted the role that 'Plot 6' next to Temple Meads can play in our local transport infrastructure, a place where we can build a much needed transport hub that caters for trains, buses and ferries. Finally it seems others parties have woken up to this idea but the fight isn't over yet, see here
We would also like to see more of the city centre pedestrianised to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Getting rid of all traffic except reliable cheap buses, emergency vehicles, and cars and taxis used by disabled people and the elderly will make the Centre a much more people friendly and relatively pollution free area and mover Bristol more toward sthe Cycling City we had been promised.
We think the council should look again at building an electric light rail transit (tram) system in the central area. Most large modern European cities now have such a system and Bristol is way behind.
Want to help turn Cotham Green? Contact Graham at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Cotham is part of Bristol North Green Party. Please email
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
for details of members' meetings.
Need to check whether you live in this ward? Click on Bristol City Council's ward finder.
Your LibDem council has wasted £363,000 on the failed World Cup bid when London only spent £61,000!
Your LibDem council has also decided to sell off 40 areas of green spaces, despite large scale protests and have not let the public examine fully their reasons for doing so.
Not a good record and not the choices that a Green councillor would make. We would prefer money was spent on local services rather than large vanity projects, we would oppose selling of your land at rock bottom prices to benefit property developers – we would argue hard to make sure the people of Bristol got the best deal possible - we already have one councillor in Southville doing this, more would mean the Green party would become the real alternative.