about the complexity of the issue. At the hustings, there were always vociferous supporters of other candidates who were quick to barrack George. But I spoke to many "ordinary" voters who had come along to see the candidates in action and the majority seemed to have been most impressed by George. And that impression has transferred itself to the ballot box. There is no doubt that this is a victory for personality and independence. I'm sure Marvin Rees would argue that his policies were much clearer than George Ferguson's. But - whether he accepts it or not - Marvin's campaign seemed to be hamstrung by his intention to appoint an all-Labour cabinet. Every time the issue came up at the hustings, I saw heads shaking at the prospect of a one-party administration. Many challenges await our new mayor. In the short term, there is a budget to be set. In the long term, there is the not-insignificant task of restoring the city's faith in leadership. At the very least, however, we have a mayor who has pledged to put Bristol first. And that is a great starting point. "Are we seeing the end of the Lib Dems? No wonder they stick so fast to the Tories in national Government. When there's a General Election, they'll be wiped out." And they lost their deposit in Corby, behind UKIP. Bye bye Lib Dems. That's what you get when you sell your souls to the Tories in exchange for a referendum that would