Greens in second place in Bristol West
The latest Lord Ashcroft constituency poll for Bristol West – a key Green Party target seat – has just been released, and it’s good news for the Greens.
The well-respect Tory pollster put the Greens on 25% to Labour’s 38% – with Labour poised to take the seat from the Lib Dems, who are behind the Green Party on 20%.
Coming second this May would put the Greens in the vital ‘challenger’ position to take the seat (most likely from Labour) in 2020.
Of course, the Greens still stand a strong chance of actually taking Bristol West on the 7th, with the party coming first in the constituency for both last year’s council and European elections.
Either way – it’s a great poll for the party. Lib Dems and Labourites could still push the party into first place over the next week or so.
The Greens’ candidate Darren Hall said: “Anyone who has spent any time on the streets of Bristol West in the last few months will know we can and will win here on May 7th.
“People in Bristol are increasingly recognising that a Green MP would give them a strong independent voice in Parliament.
“People in Bristol West understand that we need the real change for the common good offered only by Greens. A strong Green grouping in Westminster on May 8 can make a genuine difference.
“I’ll never back a Tory government, and I’ll work to ensure that any Labour Government has backbone on issues like austerity, Trident and climate change.”
A spokesperson for the Green Party said: “Despite all of their bluster it is clear that the Liberal Democrats are finished in Bristol West. It’s a two-horse race between Labour and the Greens and the momentum is certainly with the Greens.”
Worth noting that Ashcroft DID NOT prompt for the Greens in the main question in this poll. The same is true for last year’s Ashcroft poll of Norwich South, which co-incidentally also had the Greens 13 points behind Labour. We know from Ashcroft’s previous polls of Brighton Pavilion, which he has polled twice, first without prompting for the Greens, and second with prompting, that this makes a significant difference.
There is all to play for here. Is it too late for the Greens to commission new polls in Norwich South and Bristol West which prompt for the party? Even if the new polls still placed the Greens second, any narrowing of the gap could provide the publicity needed to get them over the line.
“Despite all of their bluster it is clear that the Liberal Democrats are finished in Bristol West. It’s a two-horse race between Labour and the Greens and the momentum is certainly with the Greens.”
From Darren Halls Website
http://www.darrenhall.org.uk/latest/lord-ashcroft-poll-greens-have-momentum-in-bristol-west
I wish the Green Party all the very best in the up and coming election.
From an SNP well wisher