A by-election will be held after Bristol’s youngest city councillor announced she is standing down. Cllr Lily Fitzgibbon, who was just 18 when she was elected as one of the two new Green members for Bishopston & Ashley Down ward at the 2021 local elections, is moving away to be nearer her family.
The university student, who grew up in Bishopston, was a Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate organiser while still at school and helped arrange the Greta Thunberg protest on College Green in February 2020. She clashed with Labour mayor Marvin Rees at one of her first council meetings two months after being elected during a row over Bristol Airport ’s “greenwashing” claims.
Announcing her resignation from City Hall, Cllr Fitzgibbon said: “I’m moving away from Bristol to be closer to my family, but I’ll be very sad to leave this wonderful community. This hasn’t been an easy decision, and is not one I have taken lightly.
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“It has been a tremendous honour to be able to make a difference for local people here, alongside my fellow Green councillor Emma Edwards. Together, we got safety improvements to the roads outside our local primary schools and City of Bristol College.
“We’ve worked with residents on issues with bus services and supported campaigns on the lack of school places. We’ve obtained trees from the council to plant on Horfield Common, and, along with local campaigners, we helped save the much-loved Ashley Down oak.”
The Greens have already chosen their candidate to fight the forthcoming by-election – local campaigner James Crawford. Cllr Fitzgibbon said: “He grew up in this area and knows it well, and I know he’ll be a brilliant champion for Bishopston & Ashley Down.”
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Cllr Edwards, who is the Green group leader, said: “I am delighted James has been chosen as the candidate for the Bishopston & Ashley Down by-election. James works hard and has already been helping to report issues in the area and speaking to residents about traffic concerns.
"His knowledge about energy and transport is really thorough and I really look forward to working with him as a colleague.” It will be the second Bristol City Council by-election this year after the Greens gained the single-seat Hotwells & Harbourside ward from the Lib Dems.
No date has yet been announced for the contest.
