Claire Hiscott reacts to her sacking

January 11 2018
Claire Hiscott reacts to her sacking

After promising during his election campaign to work across political parties the Mayor has bizarrely chosen to sack his Conservative and Green cabinet members.

After promising during his election campaign to work across political parties the Mayor has bizarrely chosen to sack his Conservative and Green cabinet members. He used the reasons of Conservative, Green and Lib-Dem criticism about proposed library closures and the allegations of a huge pay-off for his Chief Executive as an excuse to renege on his election promise.

Cllr Claire Hiscott, the Horfield Conservative Councillor was the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills and found herself suddenly removed from her role. Speaking to Horfield and Lockleaze Voice she said “ I was stunned to suddenly have to stop working on some amazing projects for Bristol’s young people and I had been totally committed to improving education outcomes across the city.” She went on to describe the bizarre way she was informed.

“The Mayor tried to avoid telling me in person by emailing my Group Leader Cllr Weston with his decision, but Cllr Weston forced Marvin to inform me in person, so I received a very awkward and short telephone call. And that was it. Game over.

“I am really proud of my work over the last 18 months, particularly helping set up the Bristol WORKS project creating this year around 3000 new opportunities of experience of work for young people exploring possible careers options. I have worked to create partnerships with some major businesses such as EDF, Wessex Water, and Hargreaves Landsdown to give GCSE students the opportunity to see the world of work. But I know that hard work will have a lasting affect, particularly for local students from Orchard School

“I have had some amazing messages of support from all over the city and that has been very encouraging and I look forward to seeing some projects come to fruition in the months ahead, particularly a city-wide literacy project and an education and learning festival.

“I may not have planned it this way but it’s time to move on. I was finding it increasingly difficult to work in an environment where the Mayor rarely discussed issues with his wider cabinet and was never able to take challenge from other councillors in the city. That wasn’t what I had signed up to initially, and I couldn’t support some recent decisions to close libraries and scrap some Lollipop crossing patrols for our schools. There is a public version of how the Mayor professes to work but and then there is the reality. As the Conservative Cabinet Member, I kept my side of the bargain, it’s a shame the Mayor could not keep his”.