“These are areas that local people found as a lifeline during the pandemic. They would walk there, they would play there, they took their children there.
“It has also served such an important purpose over the years to stop that merging of Bristol and Bath.
“The fact that they want to concrete all over that with thousands of homes without any infrastructure has just really riled up the local residents.”
Mr Bromiley, 32, added that he was ultimately concerned “about the future Labour government and Keir Starmer’s willingness to ignore local opposition to build on the green belt.”
“I think we need to put a marker in the sand at this point and say enough’s enough.”
He said: “My number one priority is really to take the message of protecting the green belt to Parliament.
“If I’m successful in the few months I’m there, that will be what I dedicate myself to. I’ll be fighting every day to really driving that message forward.”
Building new homes
Sir Keir Starmer last October pledged that 1.5 million new homes would be built during the five years of the next Parliament, should Labour win power.
It comes as 49 Tories have said that they plan to quit Parliament rather than face re-election, including most recently former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng.
The constituency of Kingswood is to be dissolved at the general election, with part of it becoming the new constituency of Bristol North East.
Labour’s Kingswood candidate, Damien Egan, has already been selected to run in the new seat. The Conservatives have also already selected their candidate, Rose Hulse.
When asked whether he would seek a seat at the next election, Mr Bromiley said: “No, I’m absolutely not.
“What appealed to me in this one was the fact that I can really send a clear message but not spend the next two years away from my son in London. I can actually still be local and embedded in the community which I love.”
He has lived in Kingswood throughout his life, and contrasts himself with Mr Egan, who until last month served as the mayor of the London Borough of Lewisham.
Mr Bromiley, who used to work in Mr Skidmore’s office before leaving for the charity sector in 2017, insisted there were some “clear differences” between their views on net zero.
Approach to net zero
“Where I differ from Chris’s approach (is) to the oil and gas licenses in particular.
“I think we have to be careful that we can’t hit net zero on the back of the poorest people in society.
“We need to make sure that we do it in a way that doesn’t just rocket up people’s energy bills, or even limit our national energy security with what’s happening in the war in Europe. So we have to do this in a measured approach.
“I think Rishi’s got the right approach in that.”
He added that “people’s frustration with Chris (Skidmore) and the way he’s behaved” had come up on doorsteps, adding: “We’re in a general election year, they want the Prime Minister to be getting on with the job. And they want MPs to be backing that rather than infighting.”
Mr Bromiley became involved in politics around 15 years ago, and met Mr Skidmore and other local councillors while a youth worker in one of the more deprived areas of Kingswood.
“It was my journey from growing up in a council house to then being a homeowner, that’s really why I’m Conservative, it’s that the freedom and the ability to work hard and make sure that work pays and you’re rewarded for that.”
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
