Geoff Gollop
{{Short description|British politician}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Geoff Gollop
|honorific-suffix = OBE
|image = Geoff Gollop OBE.png
|caption =
|office = Deputy Mayor of Bristol
|leader = George Ferguson
|term_start = 2012
|term_end = 2016
|predecessor = Position established
|successor = Craig Cheney (Finance, Governance and Performance){{cite web |url=https://www.bristol.gov.uk/how-council-decisions-are-made/the-mayor-and-cabinet|title=The Mayor and Cabinet|accessdate=2018-07-26|df=dmy-all }}
Asher Craig (Communities, Events and Equalities)
|office1 = Lord Mayor of Bristol
|leader1 =
|predecessor1 = Colin Smith
|successor1 = Peter Main
|term_start1 = 2011
Cllr Geoff Gollop chosen as Conservative candidate for directly elected Mayor of Bristol|accessdate=26 May 2021|work=Conservative Home|date=
8 August 2012}}
|office2 = Deputy Lord Mayor of Bristol
|leader2 = Peter Main
|predecessor2 = Colin Smith
|successor2 = Peter Main
|term_start2 = 2012
|office3 = Councillor for Westbury-on-Trym and Henleaze
|term_end3 = 2024
|predecessor3 =
|successor3 =
|majority3 =
|birth_name = Geoffrey Richard Gollop
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1955|2|23}}
|birth_place =
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Conservative (since 1973)
|alma_mater = Clifton College
Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
|spouse = Bernice (m. 1990 or 1991)
|children = 2
|profession = Accountant
politician
}}
Geoffrey Richard Gollop, OBE[http://www.fitz.cam.ac.uk/mi-client/media/import/documents/Fitzwilliam2012Part3.pdf "Subject gatherings"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512221145/http://www.fitz.cam.ac.uk/mi-client/media/import/documents/Fitzwilliam2012Part3.pdf |date=12 May 2014 }}. Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. March 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2014. (born 23 February 1955)[http://www.bristol.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/council_and_democracy/Lord%20Mayors%20biography.pdf "City and County of Bristol: The Lord Mayor of Bristol 2011 – 2012"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110162159/http://www.bristol.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/council_and_democracy/Lord%20Mayors%20biography.pdf |date=10 January 2012 }}. Bristol City Council. Retrieved 11 May 2014. is a British Conservative politician. He was a councillor on Bristol City Council from 2001 to 2024 and deputy mayor of Bristol from 2012 to 2016. He stood unsuccessfully as the Conservative candidate for the first directly elected mayor of Bristol in 2012.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-19169857 "Conservative party names Geoff Gollop as Bristol mayor candidate"]. BBC News. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
Personal life
Gollop was born at Bristol Maternity Hospital and has lived his entire life in Bristol, having been brought up in Henbury, where he attended Blaise Primary School. He then attended Clifton College, and after that went up to Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. Thereafter he trained in accounting, became a Chartered Accountant and worked in accounting firms, before being made redundant and setting up his own business. Geoff Gollop & Co merged with accounting firm Milsted Langdon in 2013, with Gollop joining the latter as a director.Sweet, Pat. [https://www.accountancylive.com/milsted-langdon-merges-firm-geoff-gollop-co "Milsted Langdon merges firm with Geoff Gollop & Co"]. Accountancy Live. 5 June 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
Gollop is married to Bernice and has two children, Mark and Hermione. He is a Methodist and supports Bristol Rovers F.C. and Bristol City F.C.[http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/PROFILE-Geoff-Gollop-ll-safe-pair-hands/story-17199541-detail/story.html "PROFILE: Geoff Gollop – "I'll be a safe pair of hands""]. Bristol Post. 31 October 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2014. His other interests include musical theatre and travel. He joined the Conservative Party in 1973. He is a former school governor of Henbury School and Henleaze Junior School, and a former church warden of St Mary's Church, Henbury.
Political career
Gollop was inspired to enter local politics by the issue of secondary education[http://www.geoffgollop.org.uk/why-geoff-gollop "Why Geoff Gollop?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513011337/http://www.geoffgollop.org.uk/why-geoff-gollop |date=13 May 2014 }}. Geoff Gollop. Retrieved 11 May 2014. and by his father Philip, a former Councillor for the Henbury ward.[http://www.geoffgollop.org.uk/about-geoff "About Geoff"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512214352/http://www.geoffgollop.org.uk/about-geoff |date=12 May 2014 }}. Geoff Gollop. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
Gollop was first elected as a Conservative Councillor on Bristol City Council in the June 2001 local election, representing the Westbury-on-Trym ward.[http://www.bristol.gov.uk/LocalElectionViewer/index.html?XSL=main&ShowElectionWard=true&ElectionId=55&WardId=30 "Bristol City Council Election Results for 7 Jun 2001"]. Bristol City Council. Retrieved 11 May 2014. He was re-elected several times, representing Westbury-on-Trym and later the Westbury-on-Trym and Henleaze ward, until losing the ward to the Liberal Democrats in the May 2024 local election.{{cite web | url=https://thebristolcable.org/category/series-local-elections-2024/#wards | title=Bristol Local Elections 2024 }}
In 2011-12, Gollop served in the ceremonial role of lord mayor of Bristol,bristollordmayor. [https://www.flickr.com/photos/bristollordmayor/5733662312/in/set-72157626998044209 "Mayor making meeting 17/05/11"]. Flickr. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2014. and in 2012-13 he served as the deputy lord mayor.
In November 2011, Gollop was the victim of an arson attack on his car, for which the Informal Anarchist Federation claimed responsibility.[http://www.channel4.com/news/informal-anarchist-federation-bristol-arson-attack-anarchist "Bristol arson attack linked to anarchist terror network"]. Channel 4 News. 28 August 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
On 7 August 2012, he was selected to be the Conservative candidate for the first directly elected mayor of Bristol, having defeated former three-time lord mayor and Bristol City Council's Conservative group leader, Peter Abraham, and former councillor, Barbara Lewis. Receiving support from the mayor of London, Boris Johnson,Muir, Hugh. [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/nov/02/boris-johnson-political-gaffes "Boris Johnson and the politician's awkward moment: six of the best"]. The Guardian. 2 November 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
Gollop campaigned on transport, education, inequality and Council culture.[http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Conservatives-announce-mayoral-candidate/story-16668290-detail/story.html "Conservatives announce their mayoral candidate"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512214324/http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Conservatives-announce-mayoral-candidate/story-16668290-detail/story.html |date=12 May 2014 }}. Bristol Post. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2014. His specific policies included a freeze or reduction in Council Tax, lower fares on public transport, and business rates relief for independent shops.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-20171897 "Bristol mayoral race: Geoff Gollop makes tax pledge"]. BBC News. 2 November 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
In the election on 15 November, Gollop lost to independent candidate George Ferguson, coming third, with 9.13% of the first-preference votes, behind Ferguson and the Labour Party candidate Marvin Rees. Gollop attributed the result to "a real disillusionment with party politics".Murray Brown, John. [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/df2dbf34-3004-11e2-a040-00144feabdc0.html#axzz31MnNH9ot "Plan comes together for Bristol's new mayor"]. The Financial Times. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
After the election, Mayor Ferguson assembled a "rainbow cabinet" of councillors from several parties, appointing Gollop as his deputy mayor and cabinet member with responsibility for finance and corporate services.[http://www.bristol.gov.uk/page/council-and-democracy/cabinet-whos-involved-and-how-it-works "The Cabinet – who's involved and how it works"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512231447/http://www.bristol.gov.uk/page/council-and-democracy/cabinet-whos-involved-and-how-it-works |date=12 May 2014 }}. Bristol City Council. 23 December 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2014.{{cite web
| url=http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-Mayor-George-Ferguson-unveils-rainbow/story-19016027-detail/story.html
| title=Bristol Mayor George Ferguson unveils his "rainbow cabinet"
| publisher=Bristol Post
| date=17 May 2013
| access-date=27 March 2014
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327234410/http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-Mayor-George-Ferguson-unveils-rainbow/story-19016027-detail/story.html
| archive-date=27 March 2014
| url-status=dead
}}
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gollop, Geoff}}
Category:Alumni of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
Category:Conservative Party (UK) councillors
Category:Councillors in Bristol
Category:Businesspeople from Bristol
Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Category:People educated at Clifton College