Bristol's Green council leader flies 3,500 miles to New York on taxpayers' money FIVE DAYS after banning flight adverts

From the Newshound archive · first published 23 September 2026 · last updated 24 September 2026.

Tony Dyer, the Green Party leader of Bristol City Council, travelled to New York for a climate summit just five days after his council voted to ban flight, cruise and fast-fashion advertisements on council-owned billboards. Funded by Bristol taxpayers, the trip took him to the Urban20 Mayors Summit in Manhattan, where he appeared alongside New York mayor Zohran Mamdani and was photographed on an open-top sightseeing bus with fellow city leaders.

On September 15, Bristol became Britain's first council to prohibit 'high carbon' advertising — a ban covering flights, non-electric vehicles and even Black Friday promotions.

Tory deputy chairman Matt Vickers said the Greens were 'perfectly happy to lecture working families about their carbon footprint while their own leaders rack up airmiles'.

Dyer has defended the visit, noting it was only his third flight since taking office in 2024 and arguing that physical attendance was essential to represent Bristol and the UK's Core Cities.