By Heather Pickstock

North Somerset Conservative Association raised concerns with Liam Fox about his close friendship with Adam Werritty on a number of occasions over the past decade, it has been revealed.
A source close to the North Somerset Conservative Association (NSCA) said officers had raised concerns about the Defence Secretary’s relationship  with Mr Werritty several times since the MP was elected to power in 1992.

The Evening Post has been told that questions were raised with Dr Fox whether Mr Werritty was being paid by the charity Atlantic Bridge, which Dr Fox helped set up to forge links with American politicians.
A source at the association said it was forced to raise the issues with Dr Fox after being contacted by journalists.
The charity has since been dissolved after the Charity Commission had raised concerns about it being too party political.
Dr Fox installed Werritty, his best man and former flatmate, as the executive director of the charity in 1997.
Association officers asked Dr Fox why no accounts had been prepared and questioned whether Mr Werritty was being paid by the charity.
According to national newspaper reports, Mr Werritty earned more than £90,000 as the charity’s chief executive between 2007 and 2010.
The concerns were raised in private meetings between Dr Fox and association officers.  The source said that each time their concerns were acknowledged by the MP.

Last year Mr Werrity joined Dr Fox and wife Jesme at the annual Nailsea and Backwell Beer Festival at the town’s rugby club. It was there that former local newspaper editor and friend of Dr Fox for 20 years, Carol Deacon took Dr Fox’s picture and happened to catch Dr Fox’s wife and Mr Werrity in the background.
She told the Evening Post: “I don’t believe I was ever formally introduced to Adam and we just acknowledged each other with a nod.
“It always seemed very secretive, so I just presumed Mr Werritty was one of his security team and I never asked any questions.”
Councillor Carl Francis-Pester, former NSCA president and chairman, said: “We were not aware of the extent of Liam’s involvement with Mr Werritty. Those matters were nothing to do with the administration of the association.”

Dr Fox has apologised to the House of Commons for “blurring” the lines between ministerial work and his personal life after a report found he met Mr Werritty a total of 40 times at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and on overseas trips.
David Cameron said the interim report by MoD permanent secretary Ursula Brennan made clear that Dr Fox had made “serious mistakes” in his links with Mr Werritty and that procedures within his department needed tightening up.
The Prime Minister ordered the Government’s top civil servant, Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell, to join Ms Brennan in completing her inquiry, the results of which are expected later this month.
The report revealed how Mr Werritty, who was best man at Dr Fox’s 2005 wedding to Jesme Baird, had visited the MoD 22 times and been on 18 meetings abroad with Dr Fox in the last 18 months.

Dr Fox said that during the private meetings commercial and defence matters were not discussed and that Mr Werritty had no access to classified documents.
Dr Fox refused to return our phone calls or emails yesterday afternoon   and Mr Werritty was unavailable for comment.

The May local elections saw a raft of changes at the city council. The ruling Liberal Democrats lost their majority, Labour and the Conservatives appointed new – yet familiar – party leaders and  for the first time The Green Party had  more than one councillor. This week Sam Rkaina talks to all four party leaders about their ambitions for their group and the city. Today it’s the Green’s Tess Green.

It’s amazing the difference a single seat can make in local politics.  Six months ago Tess Green was the party’s only councillor and was largely ignored by Bristol City Council’s “big three”.
Then in May newcomer Gus Hoyt took controversial Liberal Democrat councillor Shirley Brown’s Ashley seat and suddenly it was all change.
The Greens were now officially a group, with Mrs Green stepping up to the role of leader.
More importantly they also gained leverage with the other parties following the Lib Dems’ loss of overall control.
With all four parties in negotiations for who should run the authority, the Greens were ignored no longer.

Green Party leader Tess Green

Mrs Green said: “Everybody wanted our votes. When you’ve got a finely balanced council even  two votes count – all of a sudden we’ve become important.
“It was a turning point for me. Before that I was mostly ignored by the other parties. I did experience hostility from the other parties seeing the Greens as a threat in certain wards. We are a threat so they were quite right in that.
“Some people didn’t want to speak to me. That was quite short lived – political background gets forgotten once you get to know people.
“When councillors are on committees they’re focused on the task in hand, there’s none of the barracking you get at full council.”
While it’s fair to say the Greens won’t be running Bristol any time soon, they have noticeably upped their performance in recent years.
They could easily have taken a third seat in May, with former councillor Charlie Bolton coming a close second in Southville.
The party also had strong results in Easton and Cotham, taking third places that weren’t far from seconds.

Mrs Green said: “We’re still up against it in that some of the electorate thinks it’s a wasted vote because we won’t get in.
“Southmead was a very bad result for the Liberal Democrats, our result was quite good. We’re relatively unknown – it’s not the sort of place you’d expect to vote Green.”
The three main parties may be reluctant to admit it, but nationally they’ve all taken leaves out of the Green Party book.
If you look back 20 years, the party was not taken terribly seriously as an electoral force.
In 2011 it seems that every other word from the Bristol Lib Dems is either “Green” or “sustainable”.  Even the Tory party symbol is a tree.

Mrs Green said: “It would be a foolish political party that doesn’t [have green policies].
“That’s bad for us in a way – people might think there’s no need to join the Green Party.
“They need to prove their green credentials though. I do believe there’s a lot of ‘greenwash’.”
Despite other groups jumping on the environmental bandwagon, Mrs Green says her party still has a lot to offer the electorate.
She said: “I hope we offer a different take on fairness and equality, that’s a big part of our policy.
“It’s not just about being fair to the planet, it’s being fair to every group of people.
“There are some neglected groups. The outer estates where there are third generation unemployed, people that think they’ll never get a job. That’s counter productive and we’re wasting all that talent.”
The main problem though, is a lack of resources.

New Ashley councillor Green Gus Hoyt

Mrs Green said:  “We’re a small party – we haven’t got enough resources so we do concentrate on where we’ve done well in the past.
“There’s always a spin-off effect when you get someone elected – we’ll focus on the second seat in Ashley.
“There are  four parties now, that’s been very hard for us. “There have been a number of cross-party groups but there’s only two of us so Gus and I have to do it all. We’re stretched too far. For 2013 we obviously want more of us.”

Mrs Green feels her group’s role is to have a green influence on the councils’ policies.
She said: “One of the things I’ve wanted to do was focus on retro fitting homes to make them more energy efficient so people don’t spend too much of their income on fuel.
“We want to encourage people to grow their own food. It does appeal to people but you need enough land to do it.
“There’s a huge waiting list for allotments and there’s not enough encouragement for people who don’t have the skills but could learn them.
“Unless there’s a huge change in the electorate we won’t see the Greens in charge. We’ve got to be prepared for slow progress.”

Mrs Green also wants to play the role of peacemaker, and help change the culture of council meetings which are notoriously fractious.
She said: “Frankly it’s been one of my ambitions to get this council to be less combative and more co-operative and focused on what’s best for people.
“I don’t like that and I don’t think the electorate does either – I believe the electorate wanted a hung council so we could work more closely together.
“If there’s anything I can do to reduce friction, I see that as my role.
“There’s far too much of ‘you did that in the past’ – it’s not addressing the problem we’ve got now.
“We’ve been starved of funding by the government. I was disappointed by the last council meeting but the one before that was better so maybe we’re getting there.”

By Sam Rkaina, Local Government Reporter

Calls are being made to boycott the new park-and-ride service in Brislington after ongoing complaints from frustrated passengers.
So far 330 people have signed a petition against the current performance on the 904, claiming it has been running late and is overcrowded.
The problems have developed since London-based transport operator CT Plus took over from First Bus last month.

The changes were made as part of a £2-million savings plan by Bristol City Council, which needs to cut the amount of money it spends on supporting public transport. The council says it recognises there have been problems and will be making some changes to improve matters.
In the next few weeks the bus drivers will stop checking tickets, so when a bus pulls up all three doors will open and people will be able to board immediately rather than wait.

BT worker John Pagett set up the petition due to his frustration with a bus that he had been happy to use for the last three months. He’s particularly concerned  the cost of the service is due to go up in April, despite an apparent drop in performance.
Mr Pagett said: “They say 100 people can stand – that’s a joke. You can’t breathe at the best of times and it’s worse when we had the weather like last week. We were not  informed that the service would be taken over by CT Plus. I was quite shocked.  We think we should get the service run by First.”
Last week Mr Pagett was joined by the city council’s executive member for transport Tim Kent, so he could experience the 904 for himself.

Mr Pagett said: “His answers were unsatisfactory. He was surprised  we still used the antiquated ticketing system. He said the cost of the service would be increased next year. I asked if there was any way this can be put on hold, but he said no A 16 per cent increase next year in a service that isn’t working  seems a little far-fetched.”
Most of the people who have signed the petition against the services included comments about how unhappy they are with it.

Among them are Bradley Ireland of Keynsham, who said: “It is shocking, especially in the morning. You have to get there earlier and earlier just to make sure you get to work on time. Also they are too overcrowded with the fact more people have to stand than sit.”

Doreen Russell from Bristol said: “This has become an absolutely disgraceful service. It’s now taking me more than an hour to get home. Having to wait at least 35 minutes for this disgraceful service is just not good enough.”

And Amie Brace of Paulton said: “I have been using the park and ride for eight years and this is the worst it’s ever been. I’ve allowed some time for the initial teething problems  but this has gone on long enough now.”

CT Plus has issued a lengthy statement setting out some of the reasons for the recent issues.
It said  it was combination of two sets of road works in the area – one by Wessex Water, the other by Bristol City Council – and a number of accidents that had led to some delays.
It asked customers to bring any concerns they have to their attention. New real time information signs would soon be provided, along with updates on  Twitter and Facebook.

Transport head Tim Kent has promised improvements for the 904

Mr Kent told the Post last month a smart-card ticketing system would be introduced that will cut down on queuing. He said: “I understand there have been some very disruptive days but some days have gone very smoothly. What we want to do in the next three to four months is make those the norm, so the bus is no more than a ten-minute wait.
“If people boycott it that won’t help us but that is their choice.
“Some of the roadworks have already been removed and I think that’s why it’s more reliable in the morning. There are still problems at 5pm, and we’re exploring why that is with CT Plus.  The problem is smaller delays snowball into larger delays later in the day.
“To put an additional bus on would cost £125,000 a year, and we can’t afford that. People have said to us the park and ride should be a premium service, but they don’t pay a premium fare.”

By Sam Rkaina, Local Government Reporter

Residents are calling for something to be done about fly-tipping on an “urban oasis” in south Bristol.
The Northern Slopes includes a number of large areas of open space described as the south of the city’s answer to The Downs in Clifton.

People use the land for everything from walking their dogs to picking blackberries and enjoying sweeping views across the city.
But as these pictures show, not everyone is so appreciative of the green landscape. Residents say fly-tipping has been going on for 10 years, despite attempts to solve the problem.
Rubbish ranges from large pieces of masonry to what appear to be used syringes. Fly-tipping like this costs Bristol tax payers £250,000 every year to clean up.
One man is concerned that Bristol City Council’s move to smaller bins next year may add to the problem.

Steve Richardson says that as well as the concrete blocks and building materials pictured, other household rubbish is dumped on the land between Bedminster and Knowle.
He said: “It’s being dumped everywhere. Food waste, doors, carpets, builders’ bric-a-brac, the lot. If you go to smaller bins it will be a bigger problem.”
The council confirmed that it would be replacing the city’s existing 240-litre bins with 180-litre bins between January and June next year.
An extra recycling box for plastics will be added to offset the loss.
But domestic bin size will not prevent fly tipping of large-scale waste, so the council wants people to be more responsible and use the tips provided for this purpose, including the site at Days Road in St Philip’s.
The problem is, there is currently no Household Waste Recycling Centre in south Bristol, although the council wants to develop one.

Kingswear Road is a particular target for fly-tippers but the Northern Slopes includes several other areas, Novers Common, Glyn Vale and Wedmore Vale.
The Northern Slopes Initiative was a group set up by residents to maintain, conserve and enhance their local open space.
Originally set up to protect the areas from housing development, the group has expanded its work to help keep the slopes clean, carrying out regular litter picks.
NSI member Mil Lusk said: “It’s a very big area but it’s  a forgotten area. Fly-tipping has been going on for 10 years or more.
“It used to be cars, now it’s household tiles, concrete bags and you get mattresses.
“We’ve been working with the council to get it cleaned up. We have had some success but because it’s forgotten the council doesn’t patrol it or come out as quickly as it should.
“We’re trying to raise the whole profile of Kingswear as it’s a key connection.”

Council spokeswoman Catherine Frankpitt said: “We are aware of the ongoing problems with fly-tipping on the Northern Slopes.
“Our parks team and waste enforcement officers regularly visit the area to deal with the waste, speak to local residents and try to identify the culprits doing the fly-tipping.
“There is absolutely no excuse for anyone to fly-tip their rubbish in Bristol.
“We remain one of the few councils in the region that still operates free household waste recycling centres – in St Philip’s and Avonmouth – open seven days a week for residents.
“We also have a bulky waste collection service, which residents can use to get rid of furniture and other bulky items that they are unable to deal with themselves.
“When May Gurney introduce their new recycling services next year, there should be no more reason than there is now for fly-tipping.”
Fly-tipping can be reported on 0117 922 2100.

The May local elections saw a raft of changes at the city council. The ruling Liberal Democrats lost their majority, Labour and the Conservatives appointed new – yet familiar – party leaders and  for the first time The Green Party had  more than one councillor. This week Sam Rkaina talks to all four party leaders about their ambitions for their group and the city. Today it’s Conservative Peter Abraham.

A bigger Bristol that absorbs Kingswood, Keynsham and even Portishead – that’s Conservative leader Peter Abraham’s vision of the future.
Mr Abraham wants the city to expand its boundaries to absorb parts of the three surrounding local authorities
This would help create jobs, boost the economy and allow Bristol to fulfil its potential.

Tory leader Peter Abraham

He said: “I would start the campaign to say to the government – if you want a mayor and if you want that mayor to work you’ve got to come half way and that means extending Bristol’s  boundaries.
“Bristol used to be just here (the city centre) if it had stopped there it would be a village.
“I would start lobbying for extending the boundaries. I could use that emotive term Greater Bristol that upsets everyone.
“To move to our natural boundaries means the Cribbs Causeway corridor, Kingswood, Keynsham. I wouldn’t tie up with Bath or Weston-super-Mare as they have their own identities. One of the problems with Avon was that it went too far. But I could see Portishead.”

Mr Abraham wants Bristol to be ambitious but feels the council often works against the city’s best interests rather than for them.
He said: “I think my job as leader of the Conservative group is to get this council as a credible council.
“Bristol is a great place to work and live and even in times of great economic difficulties we are successful.
“But Bristol is successful in spite of the city council not because of it.
“I also want to be realistic. This is a city that seems to promise and not deliver.
“I think that’s the perception. I think we tell people we’re going to do things before realising we can’t do them.
“How long have politicians been promising an arena? Then we had the Knowle West regeneration, with pages of Anthony Negus saying no one would be interested in doing it any other way.
“Then within three months it’s all changed. Why don’t we get it right?
“What I want is a new order in this city.”

The proposed bendy bus scheme for Bristol "is almost a joke"

The Conservative Party was pushed into third place at the 2010 elections and remained in that position in May.
But with the coalition government imposing four years of cuts on local authorities, Mr Abraham has a clear view of what the council should be doing differently.
He said: “I’ve got to get us in a position in two years time when it is credible to vote Conservative and we will bring about a new order – we’re working on that at the moment.
“If we were in that position of power – either through a council or a Conservative mayor – we would want to see clearly what were the mandatory jobs, the things we should be doing.
“Then we would look at a list of what else we’re doing and ask  if we should  be doing them.
“Some are going to be very controversial but if there is no more money something has to go.
“This tinkering about we’re doing – five people go here or six people there – you’ve got to take whole layers out.”
Education is one area that needs a drastic rethink in the light of the £70 million of savings Bristol has to make by 2015, according to the Tories.
Mr Abraham said: “We have to face the fact that the local authority’s role in running schools in Bristol is coming to an end.
“My view is ‘thank God for that’, it’s not been a good thing. Different groups have tried.
“Cut out the middle man. I would like to see a small, central core that maintained the performance of our schools. More like Her Majesty’s inspectors rather than Ofsted.
“The more bureaucrats you have in College Green the more that slows down our heads and deputies.”
Like many in this city, transport is one Mr Abraham’s bugbears.
One of the reasons for expanding Bristol’s boundaries would be to have better cross boundary co-ordination of bus services that start in one authority and end in another.
He said: “The bendy bus is almost a joke. We need a proper system that uses rail more and that the public can afford to get on. Families say to me they can’t afford it.
“Any money saved from these silly traffic schemes I’d put reducing the fares. Let’s get people on the buses, then when the buses are full  we’ll worry about how to get more.
“The messages we’re getting are that we never see anybody on the buses, so why do we want longer buses?”
Mr Abraham wants the council to work more closely with MPs of all persuasions, and remove some of the “petty party politics” that goes on between councillors.
Nevertheless he’s still critical of the ruling Lib Dems and their Labour predecessors.

Mr Abraham said: “I think anybody looking in would say the Labour party have failed year after year, by their own test.
“I think they’ve taken a step back. Peter Hammond is left wing, the man that wouldn’t run the city a few years ago. He gave it up. I wonder where the credibility is.
“This is a wonderful city with so much to offer but something is holding it back. I have a feeling it is a lack of leadership at College Green.
“I don’t think we have a person who really understands the city.
“We need vision. We need someone who’s really courageous to take on and stay with the decisions and not change them the minute a bit of flak comes their way.”

By Matthew George and Heather Pickstock

North Somerset Conservatives have defended their embattled MP Liam Fox as the row surrounding him continues.

The first phase of an internal Government inquiry into his working relationship with his friend Adam Werritty failed to find a “smoking gun” that would have forced him to quit.

Dr Fox formally apologised to the House of Commons on Monday over his links with Mr Werritty, who worked for him in the 1990s and was best man at his wedding.

The North Somerset MP was given strong support both from Prime Minister David Cameron and a series of Tory MPs who said it was time to draw a line under the scandal. But the North Somerset MP is now facing a new complaint over his expenses.

Meanwhile a former leading local Conservative said Mr Werritty had been to a number of events in the constituency and said party members had “never had any issues with him”.

Dr Fox revealed he had met Mr Werritty 18 times on overseas trips, including family holidays, and on 22 occasions at the Ministry of Defence since the General Election last May – more than previously thought. He promised there would be no more private visits to the MoD and the friends would not meet socially abroad when he is on official business.

Dr Fox said: “I accept, with the benefit of hindsight, that I should have taken greater care to ensure a more transparent separation of Government, party political, and private business and that meetings were properly recorded to protect myself and Government from any suggestion of wrongdoing. I accept my personal responsibility for this.”

Downing Street said Dr Fox had made “serious mistakes” but Mr Cameron will wait for the conclusion of the investigation before making a final decision on his future. Other Tory MPs turned out in force for his emergency Commons statement. Among them was Filton & Bradley Stoke Tory MP Jack Lopresti, who told the Commons that

it was time to move on.

Shadow Defence Secretary Jim Murphy said Dr Fox had admitted breaking the Ministerial Code. Labour MP John Mann urged the Commissioner for Standards to investigate claims Dr Fox let Mr Werritty live rent-free at his taxpayer-funded London home in 2002-03, and ran a business from it.

Carl Francis-Pester, 45, former chairman and president of the North Somerset Conservative Association, said Adam Werritty had attended constituency events. Mr Francis-Pester, 45, said: “He did not come to any of the events in an official capacity, just as a friend of Liam’s. I do have sympathy with Liam as he has indicated these allegations could be as a result of a smear campaign.”

Councillor Arthur Terry, a trustee of the North Somerset Conservative Association, said: “Liam has served his constituency well and I am sad that this matter has come about.”

By Sam Rkaina, Local Government Reporter

Residents in Knowle have accused Bristol City Council of “not playing fair” over their town green bid.
It’s been two years since people living near Filwood Park submitted an application for the land to be registered as a town green, to protect it from potential housing development.

But despite a public inquiry in June the council has yet to make a final decision. Instead the landowners have been given another opportunity to submit further evidence to support their argument.
Campaigner Mil Lusk said: “Our councillors are not being fair to us They’ve given the landowners another opportunity to put their evidence to delay.
“Hundreds of people hope that park will be saved – we don’t want housing, we want a park.
“Most people in Knowle don’t think what we’re doing will make any difference. They think the council won’t listen.
“People are struggling. There are low-paid workers in Knowle but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a right to a voice.”

The site was sold by the council under the previous Labour administration three years ago, reportedly in a £4 million deal with government quango English Partnerships.
At the time residents reacted furiously, with more than 430 people signing a petition against the sale and claiming they had not been consulted properly.
After the sale it was earmarked as part of the council’s £1-billion plan to regenerate Knowle. Following public protest though, that plan has now been changed to a residents’ option that favours in-filling rather than large scale demolition.

Council spokeswoman Helen Hewitt said: “This matter went to Public Rights Of Way Committee’s public meeting on October 3, where it was reported that  the inspector had directed  the parties to make further submissions – the applicant has until October 28 to respond.
“Thereafter it is expected that the matter will be referred to the inspector for consideration.”
Filwood Park is just the latest in a series of controversially handled town green applications in Bristol.
Aside from the ongoing Bristol City Football Club row at Ashton Vale, the council has eight more applications still to determine including Filwood.
One of the sites is Bracey Drive, where residents have accused the council of “just being spiteful” in failing to register the site.
Last week the council did agree to register Whitchurch Park as a town green, but it came after a three-year campaign by local people and a public inquiry in their favour.

By Sam Rkaina, Local Government Reporter

North Somerset MP Liam Fox is fighting for his political life as the row over his best man intensifies.

Prime Minister David Cameron was due to hear the results of an urgent report on Dr Fox’s dealings with Adam Werritty today.
Dr Fox is also due to appear in the House of Commons today in his role as Defence Secretary but could face a grilling from Labour politicians who smell blood.

Last night Dr Fox issued a lengthy statement accepting he had “made a mistake”, apologising to the Prime Minister but stopping short of resignation.
The leader of his local association has told the Evening Post they stand by their man.

A series of allegations have surfaced over the involvement Mr Werritty had in brokering meetings for Dr Fox, as well as the access he enjoyed to government despite having no formal parliamentary or Whitehall role.
In his statement, Dr Fox said: “I accept that it was a mistake to allow distinctions to be blurred between my professional responsibilities and my personal loyalties to a friend. I am sorry for this.
“At no stage did I or my department provide classified information or briefings to Mr Werritty or assist with his commercial work – let alone benefit personally from this work.
“Nevertheless, I do accept that given Mr Werritty’s defence related business interests, my frequent contacts with him may have given an impression of wrongdoing, and may also have given third parties the misleading impression that Mr Werritty was an official adviser rather than simply a friend.
“I have learned lessons from this experience.
“I accept that with the benefit of hindsight I should have taken much greater care to ensure that any meetings with Adam Werritty, at which defence and security related issues were raised, were properly attended by officials and recorded – to protect myself and the Government from any suggestion of wrongdoing.
“With respect to my meeting with Mr Boulter in Dubai in June 2011, I accept that it was wrong to meet with a commercial supplier, without the presence of an official.
“I have apologised to the Prime Minister and agreed with my Permanent Secretary to put in place new procedures to ensure that this does not happen again.
“My Permanent Secretary will report her interim findings to the Cabinet Secretary [Monday]. It is important that this process is allowed to run its course. I will answer all questions in the House of Commons.”

The national newspapers gave the issue significant coverage over the weekend and that media interest is likely to continue this week.
Labour’s shadow defence secretary, Jim Murphy, has demanded Dr Fox makes an emergency statement to the House of Commons to answer the claims.
Mr Murphy has also written to the Prime Minister calling for an independent investigation into the allegations surrounding Dr Fox, claiming there are “significant shortcomings in the scope of the inquiry” that is currently being staged.
It is alleged Mr Werritty has visited Dr Fox at the MoD’s London headquarters  14 times in 16 months, prompting Labour to question whether national security could have been at risk.
Mr Werritty also allegedly distributed business cards bearing the House of Commons portcullis logo dubbing himself as ‘adviser’ to the minister, despite not being an employee.
He joined Dr Fox in Sri Lanka in July when the Defence Secretary was on official business and is also said to have brokered a meeting for Dr Fox in Dubai.
Last week Mr Cameron ordered the head of the civil service Sir Gus O’Donnell, to urgently report back on an internal investigation into the matter.

Mr Werritty, 34, and Dr Fox shared a London flat before the Defence Secretary married Jesme Baird in 2005.
He was also among those at Dr Fox’s birthday party last month when former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher was a guest of honour.
The allegations have prompted some backbenchers to call for Dr Fox to resign.
Last night North Somerset Conservative Association chairman Anita Heappy, who attended the MP’s 50th birthday celebrations last month, said: “The first thing which I heard regarding the inquiry was on Friday morning when I turned on the news.
“Liam continues to have my full support and that of the association. I am sure Liam will make a statement to the association.
“It is not something which has been discussed by members as yet.”

By Tom Morris

Commuters have become so disillusioned with the “disastrous” new park and ride at Brislington that they are “resigning” from using it.
London-based transport operator CT Plus took over the running of the 904 service from First last month.
But after numerous problems a petition has been set up by passengers who have described it as a “cattle train.”

So far the petition has attracted more than 320 signatures with people complaining of late buses, fewer seats, miserable drivers, poor frequency and overcrowding.
One passenger became so disenchanted with the service that he sent a “resignation” email to Bristol City Council.
Marc Olyott, 54, of Oldland Common, wrote: “After yesterday evening’s
‘debacle’ on your 904 route between 5pm and 6pm, I gave up using it this morning for good and found a more efficient bus service to take me into work in the middle of Bristol.
“It was a very pleasant experience to have a seat and travel on a bus which was on time. I will never use the 904 again.
“The cost to Bristol City Council is the loss of my ticket money, which is presently £768 annually. There are now 327 signatures on the petition concerning the 904 route.
“Many people last night had had enough and were planning alternative transportation into Bristol.
“I imagine each of the signatories to the petition are considering using alternative transport.
“If every signatory to the petition stopped using the 904, which is highly likely at present, this will cost Bristol City Council in the region of £250,000 in lost revenue annually. This is food for thought.”

Transport head Tim Kent has promised improvements for the 904

The council’s executive member for transport Councillor Tim Kent has accepted there are “teething problems” on the route.
A week ago he told the Evening Post he hoped changes he was making would help improve matters. Mr Kent is particularly keen to do this before the cost of all park and ride journeys goes up in April.
He said the changes involved a new ticketing service, called a smart card, meaning passengers don’t have to queue to board the service as they currently do.
He said as a temporary measure an extra member of staff has been added at peak time to stamp tickets.
Mr Kent also pointed to the big problem in terms of delays being down to two sets of roadworks being carried out in the area at the same time.
He added that CT Plus were running an extra service at peak time to catch up with late running.

The Post went to the Bath Road park and ride site on Friday morning to speak to passengers who use the service and found an unhappy bunch.

Andy Mills, 55, of Longwell Green said: “Last Tuesday I went to get the 5.27pm bus and one didn’t arrive until 6.05pm.
“They are meant to be every 12 minutes so how is that acceptable? When it did arrive it had to leave 30 people at our bus stop and ignore those waiting to get on at the following ones. We are not getting value for money – no way.
“The bus is always packed and very uncomfortable.  Sometimes you just don’t bother trying to get on and wait for the next one.
“When you do get on lots of people are standing and they drive like lunatics. You pay £25 to go to Alton Towers but you can get just as good a time for £3.50 here.
“The service used to be much better. This has been a disaster from day one. You give a company a while to bed but it hasn’t got any better at all.”

Jeremy Liddiard, 49, of Warmley, said: “I have been ready to go into the centre of town at 5.30pm but not seen a bus until 6.10pm. That is not a service that runs every 12 minutes.
“Basically they crush us on in the morning and then we have a problem getting back – it is not acceptable.”

Becca Smith, 22, of Saltford said: “I have to get to the park and ride bang on time so that one bus is just leaving so I can be at the front of the queue to get a seat on the next one.
“In the evenings you always have to wait 45 minutes for a service that is meant to be running every 12 minutes. There is no point coming out of work at 5.30pm because you are just not going to get on a bus – it is a very poor service.
“Sometimes work want me to stay late but the buses have stopped running so late so I have to say that I can’t, which really doesn’t look very good.”

The "new" 904 vehicles are the first bendy buses in Bristol

Carrie White, 34, of Bath, said: “There are not enough buses. They are meant to be every 12 minutes after work but you often have to wait 45 minutes for one to appear.
“I get a yearly pass but I don’t think I will bother to renew it. They are jam-packed with 80 people standing – how can that be safe? And I am not being funny but it’s not like they drive very safely. They go like the clappers and then brake.
“It is a shame because it had been a really good service over the last few years but you just can’t rely on it any more.”
Ben Thomas, 35, of Longwell Green said: “When the weather was unusually hot last month it was horrible all being crammed in on the bus. it was so hot and uncomfortable and all I could think of was how awful it was going to be in the summer. The whole thing is disastrous. They need to make this service better or people are just going to stop using it.”

Council spokeswoman Kate Hartas said: “The new buses have more capacity. This compensates for the reduced frequency which is due to a
£2 million reduction in the council’s supported transport budget following a withdrawal of Government funding.
“However the council acknowledges that the service can only work properly when issues over overcrowding and boarding times have been resolved.
“These have been exacerbated by congestion and we expect improvements when works on the Bath Road have been completed.
“Revised ticket arrangements for the afternoon peak periods are due to be introduced, and bus ticket machines are to be implemented which we hope will improve boarding times and reliability.
“Real time information is to be installed shortly and the council and CT Plus are ensuring drivers respect maximum capacity and maintain high driving standards.”

The May local elections saw a raft of changes at the city council. The ruling Liberal Democrats lost their majority, Labour and the Conservatives appointed new – yet familiar – party leaders and  for the first time The Green Party had  more than one councillor. This week Sam Rkaina talks to all four party leaders about their ambitions for their group and the city. Today it’s Labour’s Peter Hammond.

Labour in power by 2014 at the latest” – that’s the new party leader Peter Hammond’s message to the people of Bristol. Mr Hammond has put the ruling Liberal Democrat group on notice that his resurgent party wants to be running the city – ideally winning control at the 2013 elections.
It’s a bold statement for someone who wasn’t even a councillor six months ago.
It’s been two years since Mr Hammond lost his seat in the great Labour massacre of 2009 – after three decades as a councillor – and it’s been seven years since he has led the Labour group.

Labour leader Peter Hammond

But both he and his party have had a dramatic turn around this year – winning four seats at the May elections and a fifth at the Southmead by-election earlier this month.
That last result – although admittedly in what is traditionally a Labour stronghold – was particularly successful as it pushed the Lib Dems from having the seat to third place.
Mr Hammond’s own fortunes have also seen a turnaround. He won the St George seat – another safe bet for Labour in Bristol – in May and within a matter of days replaced Helen Holland as leader.
How much of Labour’s growth this year is down to local issues and how much to national is not entirely clear but it’s likely both play a factor.

The Lib Dems have done themselves few favours with the electorate by joining up with the Tories at a national level – one reason why Bristol has seen no such alliance locally.
Another is the clash of personalities between a number of high-profile councillors, who have been locked in battle for years if not decades.
The idea of some of the bigger personalities on the notoriously turbulent authority burying the hatchet in anything but each other seems highly unlikely.

Mr Hammond said: “The external perception is why can’t we work together for the people of Bristol – I’ve got a lot of sympathy for that view.
“The truth is the things that are political debated only represent five per cent of things that happen at the council. There is cross party understanding on a lot of issues.
“It is exceedingly difficult to work with the current majority party.
“In political campaigning terms I find the way that they campaign is intensely personal. They make attacks rather than political points, and that makes it difficult to work with people who two days earlier may have insulted you.”

Mr Hammond said he’s more interested in engaging with the electorate than the “great and the good of Bristol”.
He said: “Lots of things have changed since May. I think we’re more outward focused. But I don’t want us just to be in power because we’re not someone else.
“I want to be a campaigning Labour Party and to be in power by 2014 – possibly by 2013.
“We have to relieve ourselves of the baggage of the past – that frees us up to take a fresh look at things.”
Mr Hammond said that if Labour achieve power again they would do things differently.
He said: “There are two ways of running a council – either officers run it or politicians run it.
“But what happened in the past was that Labour was too managerial.
“Labour in one guise or other has been running Bristol for some considerable period of time
“Bristol built the first tower blocks. They were revolutionary in the 1950s but society has changed.”

Mr Hammond replaced Helen Holland as party leader within days of being re-elected

Mr Hammond one of the keys to Bristol’s future is transport, an issue he feels the current administration does not have a handle on.
He said: “We’ve got tremendous communities but our transport system is a dis-insentive to pulling Bristol together.
“If you ask people who they are they say ‘Meaders’ before ‘Bristolians’.
“What pulls communities together is the transport system. London is not perfect but you can travel between communities – that’s one thing that hasn’t happened here. There’s no connection between communities.
“It hampers our creativity and even our understanding of each other. There is a world of difference between Sneyd Park and Easton, St George and Hartcliffe.”
Although Labour have won five more seats on this council this year, the younger candidates they put forward in May were no so successful.

But Mr Hammond feels new – and diverse – blood is essential.
He said: “I want to move away from the old ways Labour was perceived.
“We are already determined to ensure the election of a lot more Labour councillors. There’s a lot of new young people interested, and being prepared to stand as candidates.
“There will now be a chance to have more diverse candidates.
“In 2013 we will be running far more women candidates. You’ve got to try and represent the diversity of Bristol’s society.”

Ultimately, Mr Hammond says it’s time for a change in Bristol.
He said: “I don’t think the council is currently demonstrating leadership on anything.
“I don’t detect someone speaking for Bristol politically.
“On the schools issue there has been no leadership, it’s like being washed over by the sea
“Transport – they can’t get that right. Those are the two key issues Bristolians care about.
“Fundamentally leadership is the problem with the current administration.”