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Reposted by Dr Thom Oliver

Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution @brlsi.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

BRLSI’s “Democracy Under Threat” series explores #democracy, AI, checks & balances, and #authoritarianism, with speakers including John Curtice, Wera Hobhouse MP & A.C. Grayling. Includes a 4 July conference in #Bath. www.brlsi.org/democracyunderthreat

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

I’m speaking at BRLSI in Bath this Saturday as part of their Democracy Under Threat event. I’ll be talking about my ESRC-funded work on the Qualitative Election Study of Britain, and how voters make sense of politics in their own words. In person and online. www.brlsi.org/whatson/unmo...

brlsi.org

Unmoored voices: how voters navigate Britain’s complex democracy – Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution

Whatever your thoughts about the pressures on our current democracies, BRLSI’s Democracy Under Threat series invites you to pause and take stock as we collectively take the long view across history an...

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

Citizens for Culture Cultural Plan handed over to WECA at Watershed yesterday. The value will only land if recommendations translate into visible decisions and delivery with accountability baked into existing governance. My reflections here: delegatesandtrustees.wordpress.com/2026/01/16/f...

delegatesandtrustees.wordpress.com

From Cultural Plan to cultural practice: why the Citizens for Culture handover matters

Yesterday at Watershed, I had the privilege of witnessing a milestone for culture and democracy in the West of England: the formal handover of the Citizens for Culture Cultural Plan to the region’s…

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

Spoke with John Darvall on BBC Radio Bristol about the politics of flags - how symbols of unity can become signs of division, and what this says about belonging, identity, and protest in Britain today. 🎧 Starts 10:50 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... #Politics #Identity #BBCBristol #Belonging

bbc.co.uk

John Darvall - 23/10/2025 - BBC Sounds

John brings you great stories, extended interviews and breaking news.

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

Honoured to join panel at Forwards Festival on Citizens’ Assemblies with LaToyah McAllister-Jones, Ruby Sant, Saad Eddine Said & Jemma Forte Discussing progress of #CitizensforCulture ahead of 1st assembly, showcasing politics done differently through participation, deliberation & shared ownership

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

Back on BBC Radio Bristol with John Darvall discussing Reform UK’s immigration plans 🎙️ Key point: much political noise, few solutions, failures of politics & process. Real reform = fair & fast decisions, clear legal routes, & tackling system backlogs. Listen (52:58): www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

bbc.co.uk

John Darvall - 27/08/2025 - BBC Sounds

John brings you great stories, extended interviews and breaking news.

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

You can register for the webinar here: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/92e053... The report will be published shortly after the event.

events.teams.microsoft.com

Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Tomorrow Ill be alongside some great speakers at this webinar convened by @localis.bsky.social . The online webinar is based on an excellent new report from Professors Colin Copus and Steve Leach who pose some significant challenges and concerns for the New Local Government White Paper

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Even before todays news questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-stat..., the plan was being readied for BCLP 2026, to evaluate Bristol's experience of the Committee model. Plus should the legislation pass, there will be another BCLP iteration to evaluate the return of Leader and Cabinet model

questions-statements.parliament.uk

Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

Information from UK Parliament on written questions & answers, written statements and daily reports.

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

So in 2022 to fill the gap the BCLP team wrote and published the briefing report 'The Bristol Referendum Thinking Through the Options' bristolcivicleadership.net/wp-content/u...

bristolcivicleadership.net

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

In 2022 as Bristol was posed the question of further governance change to the Committee System, the BCLP team and Bristol Ideas noted a significant lack of mainstream balanced evidenced or structured discussion on the choice at hand.

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

But concerns remained: power was seen as too concentrated in one office, councillor scrutiny significantly weakened, and public trust & participatory pathways were still lagging

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

The 2002 Made a difference report found Bristol’s mayoral model dramatically raised the city’s profile, visibility jumping from 24% in 2012 to 51% in 2018 and delivered a clear long‑term vision (e.g., the One City Plan) and stronger global representation 🚀

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

In 2020 with the mayoral model embedded, the BCLP conducted a second evaluation and published 'Mayoral Governance in Bristol has it made a difference?' www.bristol.ac.uk/media-librar...

bristol.ac.uk

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

As metro mayors emerged the BCLP answer the question 'What can we expect from a Metro Mayor?' bristolcivicleadership.net/wp-content/u... MM bring clear regional leadership, devolved powers & long-term vision, but risk personality politics, limited scrutiny & constrained autonomy under central govt.

bristolcivicleadership.net

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

2015, 1st evaluation of Mayoral Model 'Impacts of Mayoral Governance in Bristol' bristolcivicleadership.net/wp-content/u... DEM gave visible, accountable leadership, boosted Bristol’s civic profile & clear decision‑making but concerns linger over centralised power, inclusivity & scrutiny deficits

bristolcivicleadership.net

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

In 2014 a short policy brief considered the Introduction of the Mayoral Model www.bristol.ac.uk/policybristo.... The brief highlighted a DEM boosts visible, legitimate city leadership and encourages innovation but trust, representation & public “routes‑in” still need strengthening.

bristol.ac.uk

Elected mayor | PolicyBristol | University of Bristol

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

The first report ‘The Prospects for Mayoral Governance’ came out in 2013. t.co/Isp56eBdRzm it found optimism for a Directly Elected Mayor, stronger visibility, streamlined decisions & potential public service gains but warned of concerns for low turnout, weak scrutiny & need for inclusive engagement

t.co

https://bristolcivicleadership.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/the-prospects-for-mayoral-governance-in-bristol-13-march-2013-130313.pdf

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

The Bristol Civic Leadership Project bristolcivicleadership.net has run since 2012, and has looked at the different iterations of local governance change and design in Bristol and the implications and experiences of these changes for democracy, structures and policy.

bristolcivicleadership.net

Bristol Civic Leadership Project

A collaborative project on change in local governance

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

A collaboration between @uwebristolofficial.bsky.social and @bristoluni.bsky.social the project has benefitted from the experience, ideas and insights of a number of academic researchers more details of the team here: t.co/I78KLILXgr

t.co

https://bristolcivicleadership.net/the-research-team/

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

It keeps Bristol as very much the governance experiment, being able to do little more than cope with, and adapt to change, from without and from within. This is the story, so far, told through the outputs of the Bristol Civic Leadership Project

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

The government decision doesn’t come as a surprise. The desire of the centre to simplify governance options, combined with the consistently mooted logics of the benefits of executive models of governance in terms of visibility, accountability and centre to local ‘engagability’ remain

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Just as we were planning the Bristol Civic Leadership Project 2026 to look at experiences of Committee Governance in Bristol, we’ll have to also consider the next iteration 2 years back into Leader and Cabinet model. The BLCP has been alongside the waves of governance change which started in 2013. 🧵

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Reposted by Dr Thom Oliver

Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Lot of people asking what impact Reform running councils will have on their popularity. There are reasons to think it won't be smooth sailing. A lot of political novices taking over in challenging circs, and in the past Farage party councillors have often split or left in large numbers

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Piece for @bristol247.bsky.social around the positive outcomes and some of the potential issues emerging from the WECA election result www.bristol247.com/opinion/your...

bristol247.com

'Do we now have a mayor without a mandate?'

Dr Thom Oliver says the 2025 mayoral vote has raised more questions than it answered

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Happy to find time to speak with John Darvall at BBC Radio Bristol about the WECA Mayoral Election result, including what it might mean for the regions politics, the rise of Reform UK, and the perennial challenge of low turnout. You can listen back from 09:57 here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

bbc.co.uk

John Darvall - 02/05/2025 - BBC Sounds

John brings you great stories, extended interviews and breaking news.

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Up early this morning at 7:30am to speak with Charlie Taylor on the BBC Radio Bristol Breakfast show, offering a bit of early analysis of the WECA mayoral election. You can listen back via BBC Sounds from 1:37:57 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

bbc.co.uk

Joe Sims - Charlie Taylor sits in (02/05/2025) - BBC Sounds

A proper Bristol breakfast, waking you up with a smile every morning.

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

As much as I'm willing to make an electoral prediction, I think it will be (differential) turnout, not tactics which ultimately decide the outcome of the WECA Mayoral vote www.bristol247.com/opinion/your... (Here is my new piece for @bristol247.bsky.social)

bristol247.com

'Turnout not tactics will decide the WECA mayoral election'

"Predicting elections is tricky," says UWE Bristol's Dr Thom Oliver

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

If you're from Bristol or beyond, this zoom talk on 'Bristol's Cultural Renaissance' by @andrewkelly.bsky.social is worth checking out. Its taking place online next Wednesday evening. Sign up for a link: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

Great to see this piece from Debbie Ransome of 'The Roundtable' The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs written about the recent 'Referendums in Small States and Territories' Conference, hosted at the Centre for Small States (QMUL). www.commonwealthroundtable.co.uk/general/smal...

commonwealthroundtable.co.uk

When to vote and what to vote on: The case for referendums in small states

Referendum experts look at what makes the process work - and fail - around the world.

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

A pleasure to speak with @johndarvall.bsky.social today on BBC Radio Bristol. We discussed the big (not new) idea of regional bus franchising, explored the cost and timelines of such a change, and the very real prospects of (tax) precepts to pay for it. bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... (Listen from 54.30)

bbc.co.uk

John Darvall - 24/04/2025 - BBC Sounds

John brings you great stories, extended interviews, and breaking news.

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Reposted by Dr Thom Oliver

Stephen Frost @sfrost.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

Good piece from @thomoli.bsky.social on the WECA mayoral election “Few candidates are setting out bold “asks” of central government… The best-known and most effective mayors, like Andy Burnham or Andy Street, did not just manage what they were given; they demanded more and fought for their regions”

bristol247.com

'Where is the vision in the WECA mayoral race?'

Dr Thom Oliver says our next mayor "must have a vision, a distinct and clear ask, and a willingness to bring people together"

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

Thanks Stephen, good to be in contact here.

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Dr Thom Oliver @thomoli.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

This week began with a great conversation with Paris Troy on BBC Radio Bristol. We discussed young people, generational wars, and the experience of, and prospects for Votes at 16. If you want to, you can listen back on BBC Sounds www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... (Scroll to 11:00)

bbc.co.uk

John Darvall - Paris Troy sits in (03/02/2025) - BBC Sounds

Paris brings you great stories, extended interviews, and breaking news.

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