John Savage, the Bristol businessman, campaigner and driving force behind the city’s Chamber of Commerce & Initiative, has become Labour's candidate in the Avon & Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner election.
Dr Savage, who chairs the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Trust, took over the candidacy today after the party’s previous candidate Bob Ashford was forced to step down yesterday when he learned that a minor conviction in 1966 barred him from standing.
Dr Savage said: “I am determined to use my skills and experience to stand up for local communities in these elections.
“I fully understand the need for a new approach to resource allocation in these testing economic times but the Government is making the wrong choices on crime, taking frontline police off the streets, weakening powers to deal with anti-social behaviour, and opening the door to the privatisation of core services – I will fight the impact of these reckless changes.”
Phil Smith, managing director of business lobbying and leadership group Business West, said: “At Business West we know John well. He led the organisation for over 20 years and has made a fundamental impact on business, regeneration and partnership working across Bristol and the West of England for many years.
“As the chief executive of Bristol Chamber of Commerce & Initiative, part of Business West, he brought public and private sector organisations together to address issues of poverty, unemployment and homelessness and more recently to develop the long term Bristol 2050 vision.”
