Category Archives: Glossary of Bristol City Council terms

Free Lunch: There is such a thing at Bristol City Council. Paid for by you. Always organic and Fair Trade. See also conference, Lord Mayor, expenses.

New: Anything Bristol City Council does that features in a press release is new. See also innovative, exciting.

Investment: The same thing as income, turnover, expenditure, profit or loss depending on circumstances and the PR message being delivered. After all, it’s only someone else’s money innit? See also business.

‘One Council’ approach: Local authority management in the high paranoid style. Characterised by rigid hierarchy and impenetrable bureaucracy and notable for its endless public relations gimmicks and the use of unaccountable private sector CONsultants as key managers and decision-makers. Features … Continue reading →

Business: Wear a new suit and work in local government for 20 years spending huge quantities of other people’s money and you are an expert at business. See also marketing.

Holistic Approach: Exactly the same as the usual hopeless Bristol City Council approach except the officers involved wear jeans.

Meeting: Kind of ritualised, aimless mass non-exercise conducted by groups of city council officers on a twice daily basis in order that they can have a cup of tea and use up some time either side of lunch. See also … Continue reading →

The great and good: Those invited to the first night of the Banksy exhibtion – if you weren’t invited you weren’t great and thus you can’t be any good. To be good you must have money or a degree in … Continue reading →

Councillors: A form of decorative finishing unique to Bristol’s Council House. See also Politicians.