James Cox - Bristol West

This election will define our country for generations. It is our best and possibly last chance to elect a government and MPs who will stop Brexit.
The Liberal Democrats are the strongest party of Remain and I will be standing on a manifesto to stop Brexit by revoking Article 50. We need to stop Brexit so we can tackle the climate emergency, save our schools and fix our broken politics.

Brexit puts so much at risk in Bristol. It puts jobs and our local economy at risk, threatens our NHS and destroys security for EU nationals living in our city.

This country deserves better than Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn, and I am excited to take our positive, pro-European, liberal vision to the country as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Bristol West

- James Cox, Parliamentary Candidate for Bristol West

Latest News

This is an emergency!

Posted by James Cox | Updated 2020-01-06

We must be the sand in Johnson's gears

Posted by James Cox | Updated 2019-12-15

Like you, I was incredibly disappointed by Thursday's election results. The ramifications for the country and for people in Bristol gives me a sense of intense fear and I worry desperately for the future.

I worry because of what five years of a Johnson government means. It means a hard Brexit, severing a deep economic and political relationship that puts the economy of Bristol and the wider country at great risk. It means five more years of a hostile environment attacking migrants, refugees and the over 3 million EU nationals who call Britain home. It means five more years our vital public services, our schools, police and NHS and mental health services being underfunded and undermined. It means five more years of attacks on your civil liberties and renewed attempts to water down or abolish the human rights act. It means no real action to tackle the climate emergency. It means five years of broken promises and broken politics.

Bristol West - Unite to Remain

Posted by James Cox | Updated 2019-11-07

When I was selected for Bristol West, I knew we had a big task ahead. It was daunting stepping into the shoes of Bristol West’s first Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Williams, but it was a challenge I was excited to take on. This election was to be a key part of our comeback. The team was ready, the literature designed and the message – Stop Brexit. Build a Brighter Future – could not have been more Bristol West if it tried. I anticipate that we would have done very well, perhaps even surprised a few pundits on the way.

Meet James ...

James moved to Bristol to study for a Master’s degree in Public Policy at the University of Bristol. His background is as a researcher in European Union refugee policy and he lives in Cotham, just a few streets away from where his Mum grew up and went to school.

James became more involved in politics following the 2016 EU referendum. At the age of 21, James felt that his generation was not being given a voice in the Brexit process and decided that he would stand at the next election.

Since moving to Bristol, James has become heavily involved in community action. His first political engagement in the city was as part of the successful ‘Save Redland Library’ campaign. As a passionate environmentalist, he was heavily involved with the ‘Take Control of Bristol’s Buses’ campaign and regularly attends meetings of the Bristol Clean Air Alliance.

Following his own experiences with mental ill health and the spate of student suicides at the university, James founded and leads Zero Suicide Bristol – a local campaign group focused on suicide prevention policy.

As a candidate, James has been very active with local groups. He gained the support of Help Bristol’s Homeless for his campaign for Bristol to provide end of life care for homeless people, has worked with Bristol’s Drugs Project to promote drug reform and harm reduction policies for the city, and also with City to Sea to tackle plastic pollution and period poverty. Most recently, James carried out a survey of headteachers and parents in Bristol West as part of his campaign to improve schools and put education at the top of the national agenda.

Away from politics, James is an English graduate and a keen reader, passionately follows football and cricket and plays the guitar.