A date has now been set for a by-election in Bristol next month which could see one party become the largest on the city council. Voters in Hotwells and Harbourside will head to the polls and choose a new councillor to represent them on Thursday, February 2.
Most parties have also now announced which candidates will be standing in the by-election, with the ballot paper including a former MP, a local journalist and a political newcomer. The ward is currently held by the Liberal Democrats, but the vote is expected to be a tight race.
Polling stations in Hotwells and Harbourside will open at 7am and close at 10pm on Thursday, February 2. Voters in the ward will need to be registered to take part in the by-election, with the deadline to register at midnight on Tuesday, January 17.
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The deadline to request a postal vote is 5pm on Wednesday, January 18, and postal votes will start to be sent out on Friday, January 20. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm on Wednesday, January 25.
Details of which polling stations voters should go to will be included on polling cards, due to be sent out in the coming days. People wishing to register to vote can do so on the council’s website, as well as applying for a postal vote and a proxy vote.
The candidates who have announced they are standing so far are:
- Stephen Williams, former Liberal Democrat MP
- Patrick McAllister, Green candidate and climate-science graduate
- Eileen Means, Labour campaigner and previous council candidate
- Martin Booth, independent candidate and editor of Bristol24/7
- Eliana Barbosa, Conservative candidate
Both Labour and the Greens currently have 24 seats on Bristol City Council, so if either party wins they would become the largest group on the council — although that changes little under the mayoral system.
The by-election was sparked by the sudden resignation of the current ward councillor, Alex Hartley. Cllr Hartley was first elected in May 2021, and played a major role in the referendum to abolish the mayor, but announced he was stepping down due to mental health concerns.
This article was updated on January 9 to include the Conservative candidate
