Carla Denyer has made history by being elected at Bristol’s first Green MP.
She won the seat in the general election on July 4 from Labour’s Thangam Debbonaire, who had been tipped for a position at the heart of the new Labour government.
Throughout the campaign, the contest had been said to be close, but the result saw Ms Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party, take 56.6 per cent of the votes, more than 20 points ahead of Labour who won 32.6 per cent. Trailing far behind were the Conservatives in third, followed by Reform UK, the Liberal Democrats and finally the Party of Women.
The win marks part of a seismic shift in support for the Greens both in Bristol and across the country. In May, the Green Party took control of Bristol City Council, falling only two seats short of an absolute majority.
Ms Denyer, who stood down as a city councillor to concentrate on her Parliamentary ambition, said as the result was announced: “Bristol, you made history today. Together we elected our city’s first Green MP. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who voted Green, I’m incredibly grateful that you put your trust in me. And to everyone who gave your vote to somebody else this time, I’m here for you, ready to listen to you and work hard for you too. This incredible city has long had my heart and the warmth I have felt during this campaign has been truly humbling. I feel so privileged to have this opportunity to serve you and to ensure that the real hope that inspired so many people to vote Green is represented in Parliament. I can’t wait to get started.”
Bristol Central forms most of the former Bristol West constituency, which had been held by Ms Debbonaire since 2015. She said: “Across the country people have voted for a Labour government and I couldn’t be prouder of my part in seeing that happen. Fourteen long years of chaos and division have finally come to an end.”
Ms Denyer received 24,539 votes, while Ms Debbonaire received 14,132 votes. The Conservative candidate, Samuel Williams, received 1,998 votes and 4.6 per cent. The Reform UK candidate, Robert Clarke, received 1,338 votes and 3.1 per cent.
The Liberal Democrat candidate, Nicholas Coombes, received 1,162 votes and 2.7 per cent. The Party of Women candidate, Kellie-Jay Keen, a prominent anti-trans campaigner, received only 196 votes and just half a per cent. The turnout was 69.4 per cent.