Views are split over Brexit 'benefits' in Bristol North West

With the election only 10 days away, we went out to the Bristol North-West constituency to find out whether people thought there had been any benefits from the UK leaving the European Union.

The constituency covers areas such as Lawrence Weston, Southmead, Westbury-on-Trym, and Stoke Bishop. This constituency has traditionally been a Conservative-Labour swing seat.

The Tories won the seat in 2010 and increased their majority by 9.5% in 2015. However, in the snap 2017 general election, the seat was lost to the Labour Party by a swing of 9%. Labour candidate Darren Jones attributed his victory partly to the constituency's strong Remain stance (61% voted to remain in the EU). He was re-elected as MP in 2019 with an increased majority.

Bristol Live visited Westbury-on-Trym to find out residents' opinions on Brexit. One constituent expressed regret over Brexit, saying it 'should never have happened, I certainly didn’t vote for it, and it’s made Britain poorer. The sooner we rejoin the European Union, the happier I will be'.

Another interviewee felt Brexit provided 'freedom from European legislation' and believed there were 'many pieces of European legislation from Stuttgart and Brussels which interfere with UK democracy'.

However, not everyone saw benefits. One resident stated there were no advantages 'whatsoever because we haven’t had the opportunity'. When asked what needed to happen for British citizens to see the benefits of Brexit, they bluntly replied, 'our politicians need to remove their heads from their backsides'.

Another resident criticised David Cameron's decision to hold the referendum, saying: "He should never have gone for it. He didn’t think it was going to go through anyway." A resident also noted that postage costs from Europe had increased significantly.

It remains to be seen whether Brexit will be a decisive issue when residents of North-West Bristol cast their ballots on July 4. Incumbent Darren Jones will be hoping to fight off challenges from Laura Sanders (Conservative), Caroline Gooch (Liberal Democrats), Mary Page (Green), Ben Smith (SDP), and Scarlett O’Connor (Reform UK).