We are the ones doing the hard yards in Parliament, holding this dreadful Labour government to account and forcing concessions – Reform MPs are not the ones making the running. A parliamentary party the same size as the number of digits on one hand does not make you the real opposition.
It’s the best chance the Party has to prove to the electorate it is ready to show humility, listen, learn, change, and ultimately ready to wield the awesome responsibility of government.
There are lots of challenges to overcome, but I’ll be a Mayor who is visible, who has clear priorities, and who gets stuff done.
The West of England was a narrow Conservative victory last time. It is likely to be closely fought again.
What a bracing springboard it would be to bounce into the local elections with normality returning faster than expected.
Paul Bristow has energy, authenticity, stamina, dedication, humility, and grace, and I’m not convinced that the same exact campaign with another candidate would have generated the same result.