News / libraries
Councillors argue over ongoing petition to ‘save Bristol’s libraries’
Bristol councillors clashed over a petition from opposition Labour to “save Bristol’s libraries”, which has been signed by nearly 5,000 people.
The Green-led administration, backed by Lib Dems and Conservatives, accused the opposition group of “scaremongering” and “propaganda” and insisted the service was not under threat after announcing previously that the budget would not be cut next year.
Labour said that despite this, no one in charge had met its challenge of promising that no branches would be shut as part of a major ongoing review into the future of the city’s libraries.
The petition to “save Bristol’s libraries” now has nearly 5,000 signatures – photo: Karen Johnson
Presenting the petition at a full council meeting of Bristol City Council on Tuesday, Labour group leader councillor Tom Renhard said the ruling groups had initially proposed to cut funding by more than half – £2.4m from the £4.7m pot – for the service but had backtracked after it mounted a campaign.
He said: “I don’t begrudge the difficult decisions local leaders had to take.
“As far back as 2017, when Labour were staring down the barrel of a major financial deficit resulting from previous financial mismanagement, there were no easy answers.
“In Bristol, Labour did all it could to make ends meet.
“At the point we left office in May 2024, we had delivered eight balanced budgets, and we still had 27 libraries in the city – having kept them all open.
“A proud achievement and not one that had been easy to accomplish.
“There were no easy decisions – the trade-off for keeping them all open was reducing some libraries’ operating hours.
“We knew that once the building’s gone, it’s gone for good.
“Only by a clear commitment to keep all libraries open will the space be created to have the conversation on building a service that is fit for the future.
“The Green and Liberal Dem administration that was looking to take out over £2m of the library budget in January could have seen up to 19 libraries close.”
Renhard said the administration had failed to take many opportunities to rule out branch closures.
Green Ed Fraser for Eastville, who is autistic, said he knew the importance of libraries because he spent the first few years of his life non-verbal, and that reading with his mum and older brother at his local branch was crucial in his speech development.
He said: “I share this not to be pithy or to create a sob story, but because sometimes people think that when they hear things like ‘your local libraries are under threat’, they assume it’s because the politicians don’t understand what difference libraries make in people’s lives.
“But we do know.
“So to all of the residents who have signed this petition, or seen things on social media or through their letterbox saying that we’re threatening to cut your library, I want to say I’m sorry.
“I am sorry you have been made to feel anxious about your local libraries by Bristol Labour’s cynical campaign.
“I am sorry that now Bristol Labour have your email addresses which you had to supply to sign this petition, they will use them to feed you more scary nonsense about libraries and other local services.
“I am particularly sorry that they carried on delivering leaflets with falsehoods about Bristol’s libraries printed on them, even after we explicitly confirmed in this chamber that Bristol’s library budget was being protected to the penny.
“Because we won’t forget, when they were in power, when their leader was in cabinet, they cut the library’s budget by £700,000.
“They cut opening hours in many libraries to just 20 hours per week or less.”
Public health and communities committee chair and Lib Dem councillor for Westbury-on-Trym & Henleaze, Stephen Williams, told the meeting: “The petition is full of falsehoods and scaremongering.”
He said former Labour mayor Marvin Rees proposed to close 17 libraries, which was only dropped after a public outcry.
Williams said: “But instead of which there was a 25 per cent cut to the libraries budget.
“They worsened this by putting in place a recruitment freeze.
“In 2024, the Greens and Liberal Democrats decided we would not cut the libraries’ budget.
“This year we have made an announcement – probably unprecedented so far out – that next year’s 2026/27 libraries budget is also safeguarded.
“Under Labour, libraries were under threat, unloved and under-appreciated.
“Under the Lib Dem and Green administration, they are appreciated, they are valued, and they have a safe and secure future.”
Tory group leader councillor Mark Weston said: “The bit that I’m getting annoyed about is that I wasn’t aware there was actually a threat to close libraries.
“The only threat to close libraries in the last 10 years has come from Labour administrations.
“The only purpose I can see of this petition is you needed leaflet fodder and a data-gathering exercise that you can gather those emails in and then market to them.
“At least be honest that’s why you did it.
“The libraries aren’t under threat, and anyone who thinks they are is being taken in by propaganda as they seek to mine their private information.
“If you want to save libraries, keep them away from the Labour Party.”
Labour councillor Tom Blenkinsop for Avonmouth & Lawrence Weston said: “I welcome the Green and Lib Dem administration’s commitment to keep the library budget as is.
“But what you have repeatedly, conspicuously failed to do is rule out library closures.
“You’ve made a big song and dance about how we’re cynical, about this is a political issue, and it strikes me that a really good way to close that is to say you’re not going to close any libraries.”
Alex Seabrook is a local democracy reporter for Bristol
Main photo: Susie Long
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
