Which way will you swing?
Every single one of the 70 council seats are up for grabs this May 5th. The political and geographic landscapes are both in flux, with “surging” (or flopping) Greens, flailing (or resurgent) Lib Dems, revitalised (or stale) Labour, and modernised (or same-old) Tories contesting for newly revised electoral wards, that see some with significant boundary changes, and others abolished completely. As ever, elections are won with the ‘swing’ voters and ‘swing’ seats that could go either way. Using information from the last council elections in 2015, we take a look at those seats* with narrow victories that might hold the balance of power.
*Each ward listed will have a total of two elected councillors.
Brislington East
Will Labour beat off a plucky Conservative candidate?
Winner: Labour
Second place: Conservative
Percentage difference: 0.31%
Vote difference: 18
Brislington West
Formerly a Lib Dem stronghold, will they come back from extinction?
Winner: Labour
Second place: Lib Dem
Percentage difference: 3.6%
Vote difference: 216
Bedminster
Will the Greens take a traditional Labour heartland?
Winner: Labour
Second place: Green
Percentage difference: 3.69%
Vote difference: 264
Clifton
Formerly a Lib Dem stronghold, which of three ways will the historical Lib Dem vote go: Conservatives, Greens, Lib Dems?
Winner: Green
Challenger: Conservative
Percentage difference: 4.74%
Vote difference: 314
Frome Valley
To-ing and fro-ing between the two main parties for many a year.
Winner: Conservative
Second place: Labour
Percentage difference: 3.35%
Vote difference: 188
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actually think that more seats are available to change hands than this, and some may have a mixture of councillors from as many as three parties
Wasn’t there a 1 vote margin in Eastville last time?
Wasn’t there a 1 vote margin in Eastville last time?
Oh no that was the time before. 2015 was affected by LD General vote collapse.
Oh no that was 2013, 2015 was affected by collapse of LD vote