Nicholas Coombes

1. Liberal Democrats would boost housing supply and regulate the rental market:

• Immediately ban no-fault evictions, make three-year tenancies the default with rent increases capped at the rate of inflation during that three-year period, and create a national register of licensed landlords.
• Reintroduce requirements for landlords to upgrade the energy efficiency of their properties to EPC C or above.
• Build at least 150,000 new council and social homes a year.
• Allowing councils to buy land for housing developments based on current use value by reforming the Land Compensation Act 1961 and strengthening their powers to build their own homes.

2. Inflation has been driving by Brexit, energy costs and Conservative mismanagement:

• Increase trade with the EU and reduce tariffs by rejoining the European Single Market
• Invest significantly in renewable power so that 80% of the UK’s electricity is generated from renewables by 2030.
• Cut energy bills through an emergency home insulation programme.
• Bring down the cost of food for the long term, by increasing the farming budget by £1bn a year, to support nature-friendly farming and food production.
• Reinstate maintenance grants for disadvantaged students immediately to make sure that living costs are not a barrier to studying at university.

3. Liberal Democrats are calling for an immigration system that works for the UK and our economy, while treating everyone with dignity and respect.

• Expand the Youth Mobility Visa, which allows young people from 11 countries to come to the UK to work for a limited period of time. Liberal Democrats would:

Extend the Youth Mobility Visa to EEA countries on a reciprocal basis; Increase the age limit from 30 to 35; Abolish the fees for these visas; and Extend the length of visas from two to three years.

• End the Conservative’s Hostile Environment

4. Liberal Democrats would put mental health on the same footing as physical health:

• Opening walk-in hubs for children and young people in every community.
• Putting a dedicated, qualified mental health professional in every school.
• Offering regular mental health check-ups at key points in people’s lives when they are most vulnerable to mental ill-health.
• Extending young people’s mental health services up to the age of 25 to end the drop-off experienced by young people transitioning to adult services.
• Cut suicide rates with a focus on community suicide prevention services and improving prevention training for frontline NHS staff.

5. Liberal Democrats would support local councils improve transport:

• Boost bus services by giving local authorities more powers to franchise services to manage services and routes.
• Working with operators to introduce a “Young Person’s Bus Card”, giving 19- to 25-year-olds a third off bus fares.
• Work to integrate bus, rail and light rail ticketing systems to introduce a daily fare cap.
• Transform how people travel by creating new cycling and walking networks with a new nationwide active travel strategy.
• Give more of the roads budget to local councils to maintain existing roads, pavements and cycleways.

Carla Denyer

1. I know all too well from my experience as a housing campaigner and as a councillor in a student area how out of control the rental market is. I’ve long advocated for rent controls and an end to no-fault evictions, and will continue to do so as your MP. Local councils should have the authority to regulate landlords to prevent unacceptable yearly rent hikes, as well as the power to buy and build more council homes, and to have more control over new housing developments to ensure the new homes built meet local needs. This would increase the housing supply, a major factor in Bristol’s housing crisis. Housing is too important to leave to the market – rent controls and repurposing must be part of the solution.

2. Greens think students should be supported to enjoy student life, not loaded with huge debts and barely scraping by – we would stop the disastrous marketisation of higher education and scrap tuition fees. I will also fight for a higher minimum wage of £15 – including scrapping the ageist ‘banding’ of minimum wage, which leaves younger workers much worse off. And of course our policy of giving councils the power to introduce rent controls in overheated rental markets like Bristol will help students renting in the city.

3. Bristol’s diversity is one of our city’s major strengths – international students are part of that and should feel welcome here. As your MP I’ll push to scrap minimum income rules for visas, so people’s partners are able to join them here, and push the government to rejoin Erasmus and the EU free movement zone. More broadly, the divisive and hateful rhetoric around migrants, asylum seekers and immigrants is what drives the vulnerability of international students. Unlike Labour, Greens aren’t afraid to challenge this narrative. I will always stand up for migrants and challenge the hostile environment – whoever is pushing it.

4. The mental health crisis facing young people doesn’t get the attention that it deserves. I’m fighting for substantially increased mental healthcare funding, placing the same importance on mental health as physical health. Students face unacceptable waiting lists for mental health services, which is why our plan guarantees access to treatment within 28 days. Greens would boost NHS funding by making the tax system fairer including a wealth tax on the super-rich, raise NHS staff salaries, invest in GPs, and guarantee universal access to NHS dentists.

I have also campaigned for improved access to gender identity clinics and related services for trans people in the city, recently signing an open letter to the regional health commissioners, alongside local health professionals.

As an elected MP I will challenge a Labour government to do the same, and fight tooth and nail against privatisation.

5. Our city’s public transport system is broken. We need to actively pursue bus franchising as the first step towards solving it. For years, I’ve urged the West of England Combined Authority to do this as it would give the local authority much more control over the frequency, reliability, and routes offered by Bristol’s buses, compared to the current privatised system. As your MP, I will push for all public transport, particularly rail services, to be brought under public ownership. This will provide much-needed democratic regulation and oversight, preventing public transport falling below unacceptable levels of service, bringing down sky-high ticket fares.

Thangam Debbonaire

1. In the last nine years that it has been my honour to be your MP I’ve spoken with thousands of students. Even before I was elected, I’d been a trustee of the students’ union and have visited many times since. I know as students in Bristol, whether it’s high rents or poor conditions, you struggle to get the housing you need. As your MP I can help redress the balance of power between landlords and tenants, end Section 21 no-fault evictions and strengthen planning obligations to ensure new developments provide more affordable homes. If we secure a change of government, we will deliver the biggest increase in affordable housebuilding in a generation. No other candidates in Bristol Central can promise that..

2. The Tory cost of living crisis has inflicted misery on students in Bristol. I’ve spoken about this with the Vice Chancellor and Officers from the Student Union. Sustainable economic growth is the only way we will get money back into people’s pockets. This will be the number one mission of the next Labour government that I can help form.

I’ll also help set up GB Energy, a new publicly owned renewable energy company that will bring down your bills for good and unlike other parties, not increase National Insurance, Income Tax, or VAT.

3. Whether you were born here or drawn here I’ve always worked to make Bristol a welcoming place for everyone. Students make a massive contribution to the life of our diverse city, to our economy, our public services, and our communities.

To better integrate further and higher education, and ensure high-quality teaching, Labour’s post-16 skills strategy will set out the role for different providers, and how students can move between institutions, as well as strengthening regulation. We will act to improve access to universities and raise teaching standards. I’m committed to working with local universities and students to make the lives of those who live here better.

4. Poor mental health is a barrier to learning and the struggle to access support is paralysing young people. Waiting lists for those referred are too high.

As well as intervening earlier to prevent complications later in life, Labour will bring waiting times down. We will recruit an additional 8,500 new staff to treat children and adults. I’ve been desperately saddened to meet the families of those who’ve taken their own life in Bristol. Labour will make sure that new staff will be specially trained to support people at risk. Labour’s new Young Futures hubs will also provide open access mental health services for young people in every community.

5. 14 years of Tory transport neglect has failed Bristol’s students. Services are fragmented and inefficient. If re-elected, I’ll help transform local bus and rail services which are crucial for students who’ve been forced to move further out due to extortionate rents.

In the last nine years I’ve protected local bus routes including successfully campaigning with the local community to retain the number 25. In government, I’ll be able to go further by giving new powers to local leaders to franchise local bus services and lifting the ban on municipal ownership. This will give Bristol greater control over routes and schedules.

We will also bring the railways back into public ownership where they belong. This will create a unified system that focuses on reliable, affordable, high-quality, and efficient services.

Samuel Williams

1. Bristol faces a severe housing affordability issue. As the Conservative candidate for Bristol Central, my plan includes collaborating with universities and local councils to increase the supply of affordable student housing. Our manifesto commits to constructing 1.6 million homes in the next Parliament, including affordable housing. We will:

• Abolish legacy EU 'nutrient neutrality' rules to unlock 100,000 new homes.
• Deliver homes on brownfield land in urban areas.
• Unlock urban regeneration schemes through locally-led development corporations.
• These measures will help ensure students have access to affordable housing options in Bristol.

2. To address the cost-of-living crisis, I will advocate for increased financial support for students, such as expanding maintenance grants and providing targeted subsidies. Our manifesto commits to helping with living costs by reducing taxes and increasing support. Promoting part-time job opportunities within the university and local businesses could all support students balance work and study. We have reformed student loans to ensure no one pays back more than they borrowed in real terms, and we will work with universities to ensure students get value for money by receiving the contact hours they are promised and their exams are marked.

3. Bristol should be a welcoming place for international students. I will ensure clear communication about the graduate visa route and actively promote Bristol as a diverse and inclusive city. Our manifesto highlights the importance of supporting education and fostering international collaboration. Collaborating with local employers to support job placements for international graduates and addressing any discriminatory practices will be priorities. We will enhance support services for international students to help them integrate and thrive in our community.

4. Improving access to mental health services for students is crucial. Our manifesto commits to achieving parity of esteem between mental and physical health, with key measures:

• Expanding Mental Health Support Teams to all schools and colleges by 2030.
• Opening early support hubs for ages 11-25 in every community by 2030.
• Increasing NHS Talking Therapies by 50%.
• Boosting Individual Placement and Support for Severe Mental Illness by 140,000 places.
• Passing a new law for better treatment and support for severe mental health needs.
• These initiatives will ensure students have timely access to necessary care.

5. Affordable and efficient transport is vital for students. Our manifesto outlines a comprehensive plan for transport improvements, including:

• Spending £36 billion of HS2 savings on transport projects.
• Investing £4.7 billion for smaller cities, towns, and rural areas.
• Improving accessibility at 100 train stations and upgrading railways in the South West.
• This comes on top of £44 billion of funding for Network Rail over the next five years.
• We have invested £40 billion in England’s strategic roads between 2015 and 2025, with further investment to come in the next Road Investment Strategy, ensuring we can deliver major roads. including the Lower Thames