2024 Bristol City Council election

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.

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

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 Goodwin, stepping down due to time constraints with her other job.