Bristol Central: Labour's general election battle against the Green Party

Watch Bristol Central's election candidates talk to ITV News' Lucy McDaid


If Labour wins the general election, former Bristol West MP Thangam Debbonaire is almost guaranteed a seat at Sir Keir Starmer's Cabinet table.

The shadow culture secretary, who is standing in the new seat of Bristol Central, has one of Labour's largest majorities - but most polls are predicting a possible defeat to the Greens.

May's local elections for Bristol City Council at least partly set the backdrop to this battle. The Green Party narrowly missed out an overall majority but they came out as the largest party and now lead the authority.

'It will be Labour in Number 10': Green Party co-leader and Bristol Central candidate


Motivated by what they called an "historic success", in which they secured all council wards in the Bristol Central constituency, the Greens are identifying it as their "most promising" seat in the general election.

"It will be Labour in Number 10," Carla Denyer, the Green co-leader and candidate for Bristol Central, says confidently.

"The choice for voters in Bristol Central is 'do you want to give Labour a huge, unassailable majority...or do you want the Labour government that's coming in, but with a handful of Green MPs who can hold them to account?'"

The party has focused on a number of issues throughout its campaign, including the war in Gaza. Denyer says "it is something that a lot of people have brought up" but insists it's not "the only issue".


'No vote has yet been cast': Shadow Culture Secretary and Labour candidate for Bristol Central, Thangam Debbonaire


Thangam Debbonaire, Labour's shadow culture secretary, was elected as the MP for Bristol West in 2015. In 2017, she secured a 65% share and a majority of 46,213.

Bristol Central replaces her former constituency for the 2024 election and excludes areas such as Lawrence Hill and Easton.

But, despite what is being billed as a close contest, Thangam Debbonaire is adamant that "no vote has yet been cast in this election". She is consistently thrown questions about this year's local elections and what they mean for her prospects.

"Thousands of people who voted Green in the council elections voted Labour, for Claire Moody to be elected as Police and Crime Commissioner," says Thangam Debbonaire.

"People are savvy, they make different choices, they think about different elections in different ways."

One of the shadow culture secretary's key arguments when speaking to voters is that, if Labour wins the election, she will be "at the heart" of that government.

It's a choice, she says, between "an opposition MP on the backbenches and an MP able to represent Bristol at the heart of a Labour government".

Bristol Central is a safe Labour seat on paper, but the Greens clearly feel fairly confident.

While most people in the West Country face a choice on 4 July between the Conservatives and Labour, voters in Bristol Central have a different one.

The full list of candidates standing in Bristol Central.

Have you heard our podcast Talking Politics? Every day in the run-up to the election Tom, Robert and Anushka dig into the biggest issues dominating the political agenda…