Green Party only real rival to Labour for Bristol West seat
Published:
In politics, you reap what you sow, and with the Liberal Democrats taking several seats in the 2010 General Election off the back of a pledge to abolish tuition fees for students, Nick Clegg and Co. could be set for a day to forget on May 7th.
This could well be the case in the marginal constituency of Bristol West, where Stephen Williams previously swept to victory with a substantial majority five years ago.
Yet despite dominating last time round, the area’s significant student population could prove to be the Lib Dem’s downfall this time around.
Labour looks the most likely to benefit, particularly if the latest Ashcroft Poll figures are anything to go by, with Thangam Debbonaire tipped to receive 38 per cent of the vote in the region while Williams retains just 20 per cent.
However, there could yet be a sting in the tail for Ed Milliband in the shape of the Green Party.
Having featured Bristol West in his list of marginal seats, Lord Ashcroft highlighted this particular region as one to watch next week.
“The Green Party has been heavily targeting Bristol West, a seat the Lib Dems won in 2010 with a 20-point majority over Labour,” he explained in a blog post.
“People in Bristol are increasingly recognising that a Green MP would give them a strong independent voice in Parliament.”
With the Green Party continuing to focus on making public transport more affordable and cycling in and around the city safer, it’s thought that these and several of their key policies chime with those in the hotly-contested south-west seat.
Furthermore, with the 2015 general election so far characterised by the rise of some so-called lesser parties standing on specific platforms, the Greens and many others like them have received a notable boost in profile.
All of which means there could yet be a surprise on the cards in Bristol West.
The Green Party are 7/1 to win 2-5 seats in the upcoming election – it could prove to be the standout bet of the night.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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