Steve Comer

Infobox Biography


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Steve Comer is leader of the Liberal Democrats on Bristol City Council in Bristol, England. He has been Councillor for Eastville ward since 2005, having previously served as Councillor for the adjacent Easton ward (1983-7).

Background

Steve Comer was born in Bristol, but has lived in a number of places, mostly in the south west of the UK. He is employed as a civil servant, and first became active in politics as a teenager, joining the Liberal Party at 18.

Steve is an active trade unionist, and is a member of the PCS Democrats group on the national executive of the PCS Union, to which he was first elected in 2000. He has been a union representative at local, regional and national level since 1989 in a variety of negotiating posts.

Politics

At the 2005 elections the Liberal Democrat party became the largest party and took minority control of the Council. Steve joined the new cabinet team on the council, and was elected deputy leader in 2006. In May 2007 he replaced Barbara Janke as leader of the party, [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/6629557.stm BBC: City council leader is voted out] ] and was expected to become leader of the Council but was blocked by a combined Conservative and Labour vote, who installed a Labour leader instead. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/6660777.stm BBC: Council fails to elect new leader] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/6682343.stm BBC: Council leader battle resolved] ]

At a Council meeting in May 2007 Steve proposed the establishment of a select committee on prostitution. Labour and the Conservatives blocked the proposal, saying the council lacked the funding or the staff who could be dedicated solely to such a specific problem.

References

External links

* [http://www.Bristol-city.gov.uk/ Bristol City Council]
* [http://www.bristol-libdems.org.uk/ Bristol Liberal Democrats]
* [http://society.guardian.co.uk/localgovt/story/0,7890,1648869,00.html The Guardian: Council votes to oppose ID cards]