Lib Dems announce Bristol candidates for the General Election

Bristol Liberal Democrats have announced their candidates for the five Bristol Constituencies at the General Election, following the Prime Minister's announcement earlier today.

Liberal Democrat candidates in Bristol will be campaigning for a fair deal for residents of our City and Country, and for action to tackle the cost of living crisis, the NHS crisis, and the sewage scandal. 

The candidates are:

• Bristol South: Andrew Brown
  • Andrew was recently re-elected as a Councillor in Hengrove and Whitchurch Park ward in the constituency, having been elected in 2021. Over his first term as a Councillor he served as Audit Chair, and has been appointed as the Chair of the Economy and Skills committee. He previously stood as candidate in Bristol South in 2019 when he increased the Lib Dem share of the vote.
• Bristol Central: Nicholas Coombes
  • Nicholas is a chartered Town Planner, specialising in energy and transport infrastructure. He is currently working on the development of an offshore windfarm. He was recently elected to Bristol City Council, and has been appointed to the Transport Committee as well as being Vice Chair of Audit. This is his second period as a Councillor, having previously served 8 years in the role. He lives in Clifton with his partner, and outside of work and politics he enjoys hiking and cycling in the countryside. He also sings with his local choir and plays classical piano.
• Bristol North-West: Caroline Gooch
  • Caroline lives in Westbury Park and is a biomedical scientist with 20 years experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. She comes originally from Sheffield and has lived in Bristol for 8 years after moving here for work. Caroline just won a council seat in Westbury and Henleaze, taking the most votes in the ward, and will serve as Vice Chair of the Strategy and Resources Committee. She was previously Lib Dem candidate for Mayor of Bristol, and a co-founder of "It's Our City Bristol" - the cross-party group that campaigned to abolish the role of Mayor. Caroline is passionate about the NHS, improving access to services, as well as joining up health and social care.
• Bristol North-East: Louise Harris
  • Louise grew up in the constituency, attending Chester Park primary  and Rodway (now Mangotsfield) secondary schools. She's worked in the voluntary sector for over 30 years and currently manages a charity providing advocacy for people with mental health issues and learning disabilities. Louise is a South Gloucestershire councillor and is Cabinet member for the Climate and Natural Emergency; this is an issue she is passionate about and has campaigned on since her student days at Kingston University where she studied European Politics & Economics. Standing up for local people, fighting for social justice, and the environment are her goals for Bristol North East.
• Bristol East: Tony Sutcliffe
  • Tony is a former IT/Project Manager, having gained an MSc in computing through the Open University, and has been involved in major systems implementations whose roles include setting up a new Public Transport company in the Middle East. Over the last six years he's been a Parish Councillor, as well as being a candidate and activist in other campaigns. He grew up in Kingswood, attending school there, and worked as a leader for one of the largest Scout Groups in the region. In his spare time, he likes to travel with his partner and help to look after her 5 wonderful grandchildren.

Responding to the calling of the General Election, Andrew Brown said:

“For years our country have been taken for granted by an out-of-touch Conservative Government that have failed to get the basics right and lurched from crisis to crisis - now it’s time for a change. 

“Local health services have been brought to their knees, people’s mortgages and rent have skyrocketed, and water companies have been allowed to pump their filthy sewage into our rivers and beaches. All this by a Conservative government more interested in fighting between themselves than standing up for the country.

“Every vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote for a fair deal. It’s a vote for a party that will stand up for our community and our health services, and it is a vote for a better Britain.”