News / Politics
Bristol heads to the polls
Polling stations across Bristol are now open for the general election with voters deciding who they want to represent them in government.
Parliamentary hopefuls have been pounding the streets in the hope of winning one of the five seats up for grabs.
Bristol East, Bristol North East, Bristol North West, Bristol South and Bristol West are all being contested – with many eyes on Bristol Central which looks to be a two-horse race between the Greens and Labour.
is needed now More than ever
A by-election is also taking place in Horfield ward after Deborah Vittori, one of the victorious Labour candidates in May’s local elections, was disqualified due to being a teacher employed by Bristol City Council.
For the first time in a general election, everyone must show photo ID when voting in person in England, Scotland and Wales – photo: Mia Vines Booth
Across the city, there are more than 100 polling stations in schools, libraries, community centres, churches, scout huts and sports centres – all opening at 7am and due close at 10pm.
For those voting, photo ID is now needed at polling stations following the government’s introduction of a new law to clamp down on electoral fraud.
Accepted forms of ID include a passport, driving licence or older person’s bus pass.
On Thursday evening, the counts will be taking place at City Academy in Redfield and Oasis Academy Brislington with results expected in the early hours of Friday morning.
Bristol24/7 will run a live election blog from 10pm.
Here is the full list of candidates for each constituency:
Bristol Central
- Roberty Clarke (Reform UK)
- Nicholas Coombes (Lib Dem)
- Thangam Debbonaire (Labour)
- Carla Denyer (Green)
- Kellie-Jay Keen (Party of Women)
- Samuel Williams (Conservative)
Bristol East
- Wael Mustapha Arafat (independent)
- Dan Conaghan (Conservative)
- Claire Dunnage (Social Democratic Party)
- Kerry McCarthy (Labour)
- Farooq Ahmed Siddique (independent)
- Ani Stafford-Townsend (Green)
- Tony Sutcliffe (Lib Dem)
Bristol North East
- Asif Ali (independent)
- Damien Egan (Labour)
- Lorraine Francis (Green)
- Louise Harris (Lib Dem)
- Rose Hulse (Conservative)
- Anthony Michael New (Reform UK)
- Dan Smart (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition)
- Tommy Trueman (Social Democratic Party)
Bristol North West
- Caroline Gooch (Lib Dem)
- Darren Jones (Labour)
- Scarlett O’Connor (Reform UK)
- Mary Page (Green)
- Laura Saunders (Conservative) *This candidate has been deselected by their party, but their original party description will remain on the ballot paper
- Ben Smith (Social Democratic Party)
Bristol South
- Jai Breitnauer (Green)
- Liz Brennan (Conservative)
- Andrew Brown (Lib Dem)
- Neil Norton (Social Democratic Party)
- Karin Smyth (Labour)
- Richard Visick (Reform UK)
Main photo: Ellie Pipe
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