Video: Marvin Rees’ speech to conference in full

Marvin Rees’ speech in full, delivered at 3.40pm on Tuesday, September 27:

Bristol has consistently been voted one of the best places to live. It’s a city full of green space, a vibrant culture known for it’s colourful houses, grand bridges, hot air balloons and Banksy. And it is a great city. A wealthy city,… All this is true. But it’s not the whole truth.

There is another Bristol, one that tourists and even some of our citizens never see – the city of poverty and inequality.

…42 areas among the 10% most deprived in England.

…16% of our residents live in deprivation

… a nine year life expectancy difference between our richest and poorest communities.

Bristol West has among the highest numbers of PhDs per head while Bristol South has one of the lowest rates of young people going onto higher education.

Bristol is not unique and these challenges affect all cities…. But it is the injustice, and liability, that we are taking on.

I will lead the city for every citizen and build a city where nobody is left behind. A city of opportunity built on fairness and inclusion. A resilient city, both environmentally and socially… where social mobility rather than immobility is the norm and educational outcomes and employment opportunities are not determined by parental background.

At the core of my delivery will be housing – I have promised to build 2000 homes a year by 2020, with at least 800 affordable… I also have committed to investing on mental health of all primary children and tackling race and gender pay gap.

The dominant political narrative in the UK has been centrally focussed – on Westminster and on London. But that is shifting – people are increasingly realizing that cities are real. It’s cities who are often the immediate power shaping people’s lives.

The impact of city government is too easily misunderstood and undervalued in our country, even by us. If you look closely, you can see Labour in power. There are 10 core cities outside of London and Labour leads all of them

Glasgow

Birmingham

Nottingham

Leeds

Sheffield

Newcastle

Cardiff

Manchester

And of course, here in Liverpool.

19 million people live in these city regions – they deliver a quarter of the national economy…

For 2020 – or whenever the election is – our party will be judged not only on what the national party does in opposition but on Labour cities do in power.

This makes devolution a key challenge and a key opportunity for Labour.

Devolution is crucial to giving city leaders the space, resources and powers they need to get things done…. And it’s a pathway to investment in city infrastructure and bring politics closer to people…

In recent months I’ve visited Washington DC courtesy of Operation Black vote. I spoke to the gathering of US Black Mayors and also visited New York City and met with Mayor Bill de Blasio.

I attended the global parliament of Mayors. Cities and leaders around the world are clear. Cities are not merely a topic to be discussed, they are a layer of governance and we need our place at the decision-making tables, the space to forge partnerships around the world, to operate in a post national world.

We are doing things differently in Bristol. We know the council cannot deliver working alone. The complex issues that matter from congestion to sustainable development to how we do economic development without gentrification can only be tackled by all city organisations working together toward shared priorities.

So, we have connected with the other powers in the city, business and the unions, the NHS, emergency services, the education sector, sports organisations and the voluntary sector.

Our ultimate goal is to write a Bristol Plan, a plan for the whole city, that all partners invest in and help to deliver, collectively. To take a strategic approach to the city’s priorities and identify both of … – what you can do for the city and what the city can do for you….

We have found a real thirst for engagement in the Bristol. Organisations, public, private and voluntary sector… want to be involved. Our city government has for too long seen itself as a provider of services rather than what we are, an enabling organisation, a force to bring the city together.

Leave here today knowing Labour is in power and be sure…. we will deliver.

Read more: Q&A: Bristol’s Labour MPs at conference