Bristol Uni student candidates

Nine Bristol Uni students ran in the local elections – who won?

Students from Labour, the Conservatives, and the Green Party were running

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While most students have been stressing over exams, assessments, and deadlines (with a side order of the pub), nine Bristol Uni students have spent the last couple of months campaigning for local councillor positions in the 2021 Local Elections.

Representing Labour, the Conservatives, and the Greens in five wards across Bristol, these students were aiming to have an impact on city-wide policy.

Although Labour’s Marvin Rees was re-elected last night, Greens made huge gains in this election becoming the joint-largest party in the Bristol City Council, destroying the Labour majority.

Unfortunately, no students were successful in their bids for election.

No party has overall control of Bristol City Council, with Labour and the Greens both with 24 seats, the Conservatives with 14 seats, and the Lib Dems with eight seats.

Prior to the election, Labour had 33 seats, all opposition combined had 34 seats, and three seats were vacant due to retirements.

Elliot Callender (Labour) – Clifton Down – not elected

Elliot Callender is a Politics and International Relations student at Bristol Uni, and he ran as a Labour candidate for Clifton Down. He lost, having won 880 votes.

His top three policy objectives included:

  1. Tighter regulation and community input to improve housing
  2. Net-zero carbon emissions for Bristol by 2030
  3. Increase public transport options to Clifton Down

Jude D’Alesio (Conservative) – Clifton Down – not elected

Jude D’Alesio is a Law student in his 2nd year. He ran as a Conservative candidate for Clifton Down and lost, having won 449 votes.

Recently D’Alesio was accused by his former fellow committee members of sleazy behaviour after he effectively awarded himself a lifetime patronage of the Bristol Uni Conservative Association, which he then renounced. D’Alesio denies this. The only current patron is a member of the government, Jacob Rees-Mogg, MP for North Somerset.

D’Alesio’s top three policy objectives included:

  1. Action on Air Pollution by increasing public transport
  2. Action on Anti-Social behaviour by increasing police presence
  3. Action on Street Litter by punishing litterers

D’Alesio declined to comment to The Bristol Tab after the result was announced.

He remains a Conservative councillor for Long Ashton Parish.

Alexander Gibson (Conservative) – Clifton Down – not elected

Alexander Gibson is part of the Music department at Bristol Uni, and he ran as a Conservative candidate for Clifton Down and lost, having won 397 votes.

Gibson’s top three policy objectives included:

  1. Action on Air Pollution by increasing public transport
  2. Action on Anti-Social behaviour by increasing police presence
  3. Action on Street Litter by punishing litterers

Gibson declined to comment to The Bristol Tab after the result.

Patrick McAllister (Green) – Knowle – not elected

Patrick McAllister is a Geography student at Bristol Uni, he ran as a Green candidate for Knowle. He lost, having won 542 votes.

McAllister’s top three policy objectives included:

  1. Improving public transport
  2. Pedestrianising the High Street
  3. Achieving carbon neutrality

McAllister told The Bristol Tab: “I’m very proud to have stood for election and to have campaigned all over the city for a greener Bristol. Congratulations to the two winning candidates, by all reports they are excellent representatives.

“On the whole, we’ve run an excellent campaign and the whole Bristol Green Party can stand tall as Bristol’s primary opposition party.”

Georgia Nelson (Green) – St George Central – not elected

Georgia Nelson is history student at Bristol Uni, and she ran as a Green candidate for St George Central. She came in third place, having won 817 votes.

Her three policy objectives included:

  1. Improving public transport
  2. Pedestrianising the High Street
  3. Achieving carbon neutrality

Jasmine Fryer-Jones (Green) – Stockwood – not elected

Jasmine Fryer-Jones is a sustainability student at Bristol Uni, she ran as a Green candidate for Stockwood. She lost, having won 228 votes.

Fryer-Jones’s top three policy objectives included:

  1. Improving public transport
  2. Pedestrianising the High Street
  3. Achieving carbon neutrality

Poppy Silk (Green) – Stoke Bishop – not elected

Poppy Silk is a Physics student in her Masters year at Bristol Uni, she ran as a Green candidate for Stoke Bishop.

She made headlines earlier this year when she was part of an XR protest that shut down the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

Silk’s top three policy objectives included:

  1. Improving public transport
  2. Pedestrianising the High Street
  3. Achieving carbon neutrality

Luke Cox (Green) – Stoke Bishop – not elected

Luke Cox is part of the Mechanical Engineering department at Bristol Uni, he ran as a Green candidate for Stoke Bishop.

Cox’s top three policy objectives included:

  1. Improving public transport
  2. Pedestrianising the High Street
  3. Achieving carbon neutrality

Dylan Woodward (Labour) – Cotham – not elected

Dylan Woodward is a former, but recent student from Bristol Uni, and he ran as a Labour candidate for Cotham. He lost, having won a total of 699 votes.

Woodward’s top three policy objectives included:

  1. Tighter regulation and community input to improve housing
  2. Net-zero carbon emissions for Bristol by 2030
  3. Increased public transport options

Featured images: courtesy of the Bristol Greens, and Elliot Callender via Twitter

Policy objectives: courtesy of candidate and party campaigns

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