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Green surge in Bristol local elections
The Labour Party held on to their position as the largest party in Bristol City Council following an election which saw a huge Green surge and heavy Lib Dem losses.
Labour maintained 30 of 70 seats at City Hall, while the Greens more than doubled their councillors from six to 13, making them the third largest party behind the Tories on 16.
The Lib Dems suffered six losses in total, bringing their numbers down from 16 to 10, with Clifton East councillor Christian Martin pushed into third in his ward in one of the most surprise results of the day.
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Read our live coverage of the local elections that happened throughout Friday here.
Green Party leader Charlie Bolton said the party could be ready to take on Labour next year when the council holds all-out elections at the same time as a mayoral contest.
Only one third of councillors were up for election this time around, in the last vote of this kind until the city moves to all-out elections every four years.
Labour lost two seats to the Greens and gained one from the Lib Dems. The Tories held the three seats they were defending and the Lib Dems lost five seats to the Greens – all but one in the Bristol West constituency in which they were locked in a close General Election battle with Labour.
After the results, Bolton told Bristol247: “I’m very confident we can be the second biggest party by this time next year and we might even challenge Labour as the biggest.”
He said a mayoral candidate had not been selected yet but the top position at the council was “there to be taken”.
Labour leader Helen Holland said that she was also looking ahead to next year after experiencing considerable opposition to George Ferguson on the doorsteps.
“Our campaign machine doesn’t stop here,” she said. “We will all be out on the streets again before long making sure people are aware of the issues.”
FINAL RESULTS: Labour 30 (-1), Conservatives 16 (-), Greens 13 (+7), Lib Dems 10 (-6), Ukip 1 (-). pic.twitter.com/XkiNVccC0J
— Louis Emanuel (@louisjemanuel) May 8, 2015