BRISTOL elected 11 Green councillors across the city in local elections, consolidating their place as the third largest group on the council.
Charlie Bolton, who was first elected back in 2006 said:
“Bristol is a proud, progressive and principled city. I am delighted that today Bristol has elected 11 councillors who I know will represent the people of this city and represent the values we share. Across the city we have seen growing support for progressive politics, and Greens look forward to continuing our collaborative and constructive approach with other parties.”
In addition, the Green Party picked up double the number of votes for their Mayoral candidate compared to the last mayoral election, finishing above the Lib Dems and UKIP. Green candidate Tony Dyer was praised by the new Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees, in his acceptance speech for his insight and integrity throughout the election campaign.
Commenting on the Greens' success, Dyer said:
“Across the city thousands upon thousands of people voted for a Green vision, not just for their community, but for the whole city. I am truly honoured to have received such fantastic support. Looking ahead, there is a great opportunity now for the local Greens to continue to influence the direction of the city, ensuring that our priorities of truly affordable housing, an accessible transport system and building a Green and healthier city are put into practice.”
In total, Greens earned over 50,000 votes for Green council candidates across the city, which on top of the 11 seats won, resulted in Greens narrowly missing several other seats by as few as 7 votes.
Coordinator of Bristol Green Party, Sean Buchan said:
“I want to thank the tireless team of candidates and volunteers who worked so hard to bring about this result. Greens are not funded by big business or unions, so every win is a result of hours upon hours of work from our dedicated supporters to build a better Bristol.”