News / Politics
Khan campaigns in Bristol Central to support Debbonaire
The mayor of London was on the general election campaign trail in Bristol on Friday.
Sadiq Khan visted Clifton, part of the new Bristol Central constituency, to lend his support to Thangam Debbonaire who is contesting the seat for Labour.
Khan and Debbonaire visited the RWA, with Debbonaire – who is expected to become culture secretary in a future Labour government – promising to “widen access to the arts” if elected on July 4.
The London mayor’s visit came just one day after the Green Party held their national general election launch just a few hundred metres away in St George’s.
Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer is contesting Bristol Central, but Debbonaire said that only she will be able to “take Bristol’s values to the heart of a Labour government, representing our community at the top table”.
Sadiq Khan joined Thangam Debbonaire and Labour campaigners on Park Place in Clifton – photo: Labour Party
Khan said: “Like London, Bristol is a beacon of Britain’s arts, culture and creative industries.
“They make a massive contribution to the city’s economy and create quality jobs for local people.
“In Thangam, they will have a strong champion as culture secretary in the next Labour government. I urge everyone in Bristol Central to re-elect Thangam as their MP.”
The recently re-elected mayor added: “The two words nobody in Bristol must say on July 5 is ‘if only’.
“‘If only I hadn’t taken the risk and voted Green to allow the Tories back in.’
“I get nervous when people think you can vote Green and still get Labour. And on the ballot paper on July 4 is chaos with the Tories or stability with Labour.”
Despite Khan’s words, Bristol Central is an outlier in the national picture and is a straight fight between Labour and the Greens, who hold every council seat in the new constituency; with the Tories yet to even announce who their candidate is.
Bristol’s Labour leader Tom Renhard (left), with Khan, former cabinet member Amal Ali, Ali’s daugher Sophie and Debbonaire – photo: Tom Renhard
Debbonaire said: “Encountering great art and historical objects can be inspiring, empowering and transformative. That’s why the next Labour government will bring art to where people are.”
As part of the launch of Labour’s new policy, ‘Art for everyone, everywhere’, Debbonaire said that Labour will require publicly funded national museums and galleries to increase their regional and national engagement and loans to public spaces, taking art “to schools, hospitals, town halls, community centres and shopping centres in Bristol and beyond”
Debbonaire added: “We all want a change in government. Only with Labour MPs can we kick the Tories out of power and turn the page on 14 failed years.
“As secretary of state for culture, media & sport, I’d take Bristol’s values to the heart of a Labour government, representing our community at the top table.”
Main photo: Labour Party
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