The 2024 Bristol City Council election was held on Thursday 2 May 2024, alongside the other local elections in the United Kingdom. It elected all 70 councillors to the Bristol City Council for a four-year term.
Until this election the council was led by the directly-elected Mayor of Bristol; that post was abolished following a 2022 referendum which saw 59% of voters in favour of replacing the mayoral system with a committee system. Prior to the election the council was under no overall control. The Green Party were the largest party, but the mayoralty was held by Marvin Rees of the Labour Party and all the cabinet positions were held by Labour.
Following the election the council remained under no overall control. The Greens remained the largest party and increased their number of seats, but fell two seats short of winning an overall majority. At the subsequent annual council meeting on 21 May 2024, Green councillor Tony Dyer was appointed to the re-established position of leader of the council (which had been abolished on the creation of the directly elected mayoralty in 2012). Policy committee chair positions were shared amongst the Greens and Liberal Democrats.
Background Following the previous election, which was held in 2021, the council was in no overall control, though was run by the Mayor Marvin Rees and an all Labour cabinet. In the intervening 3 years, four by-elections occurred, seeing the Green Party gain one seat from the Liberal Democrats with no other change to the political makeup of the council. +Pre-Election CompositionPartySeatsGreen Party24Labour Party23Conservative Party14Liberal Democrats5Knowle Community Party2Independent2
+Post-Election CompositionPartySeatsGreen Party34 (+10)Labour Party21* (-3)Liberal Democrats8 (+3)Conservative Party7 (-7)Knowle Community Party0 (-2)Independent0 (-2)
Winning Labour candidate for Horfield, Deborah Vittori, was disqualified from holding office following the election as she was an employee of the council, being a teacher in a local authority maintained primary school. This reduced Labour seats to 20; there will be a by-election.
Councillors standing down CouncillorWardFirst electedPartyDate announcedHelen HollandHartcliffe and Withywood1992Labour29 August 2023Craig CheneyHillfields2015Labour31 August 2023Nicola BeechSt George Central2016Labour6 September 2023Steve PearceSt George Central2013Labour6 September 2023Asher CraigSt George West2016Labour9 September 2023Carla DenyerClifton Down2015Green13 November 2023Jude EnglishAshley2016IndependentN/AMark BradshawBedminster2016LabourN/ATessa FitzjohnBedminster2021GreenN/AFarah HussainCentral2021LabourN/AKaty GrantClifton2021GreenN/ATom HathwayClifton Down2021GreenN/AZoe GoodmanFilwood2021IndependentN/AChris JacksonFilwood2021LabourN/ALesley AlexanderFrome Vale2011ConservativeN/AChris WindowsHenbury & Brentry2016ConservativeN/APhilippa HulmeHorfield2021LabourN/AChris DaviesKnowle2003KCPN/AHibaq JamaLawrence Hill2016LabourN/ABrenda MasseySouthmead2016LabourN/A
Summary
Candidates
The Green Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives all stood a full slate of candidates. From these parties, alongside 1 from the Knowle Community Party, 50 incumbents stood for reelection. The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition fielded 18 candidates, and the Social Democratic Party stood 2. One independent stood.
In March, the Green Party suspended one of its candidates in the Eastville ward following his arrest on the suspicion of handling stolen goods.
Election result
Ward results Each ward elects 1 to 3 councillors each, depending on the size of the electorate:
Ashley
Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston
Bedminster
Bishopston & Ashley Down
James Crawford was elected in a by-election on the 24th of August 2023 after the former councillor, Lily Fitzgibbon, stood down to move from the area.
Bishopsworth
Brislington East
Brislington West
Central
Clifton
Clifton Down
Cotham
Easton
Eastville
Filwood
Frome Vale
Hartcliffe & Withywood
Henbury & Brentry
Hengrove & Whitchurch Park
Hillfields
Horfield
Labour candidate Deborah Vittori was disqualified from holding office following the election as she was an employee of the council, being a teacher in a local authority maintained primary school. Labour retained the seat at the by-election on 4 July, electing Carole Anne Jean Johnson by a smaller majority of 103 votes.
Hotwells & Harbourside
Patrick McAllister was elected in a by-election on the 2nd of February 2023 after the previous councillor, Alex Hartley, stepped down for health reasons.
Knowle
Councillors Gary Hopkins & Christopher Davies left the Liberal Democrats in December of 2021 to form the Knowle Community Party.
Lawrence Hill
Lockleaze
Redland
Southmead
Kye Dudd was elected in a by-election on the 17th of February 2022 following the previous councillor, Helen Godwin, stepping down due to time constraints with her other job.
Southville
St George Central
St George Troopers Hill
St George West
Stockwood
Stoke Bishop
Westbury-on-Trym & Henleaze
Windmill Hill
References