Daria Winsted (born 1962) was a British Labour politician who served as Mayor of Bristol from 22 April 2019.
Biography[]
Daria Winsted was born in Bristol, England in 1962, the daughter of a Grenadian immigrant doctor and his English wife. She became an NHS caretaker before entering politics as a union representative and Labour activist. In 2019, she was chosen to head Labour's list for the Bristol City Council elections, and she led her party to win 51.93% of the vote and 16/30 council seats, while the Liberal Democrats won 19.82% and 6/30 seats, the Greens won 16.45% and 5/30 seats, and the Conservative Party won 11.8% and 3/30 seats.
Mayoralty[]
Winsted was elected Mayor with the support of 20 councillors to Lib Dem leader Trina Allen's 7, with the Greens backing Labour over the centrist liberals. Winsted inherited a city budget of £160 million with a weekly increase of £5 million. Over the next several weeks, the council voted 27-0 to create an air pollution monitor, 14-10 for an animal testing ban, 26-1 for environmental education, 19-6 against making Bristol a tax haven, 27-1 for gender quotas, 24-5 to keep the consumption tax, 22-7 for higher sports team funding, 22-2 against a land tax, 24-6 to keep the robbery penalty, 22-1 for maternity leave, 11-10 to keep the animal testing ban, 24-2 for free public transport, Young Labour lawmaker Batikan Mahar was implicated in a Green-manufactured corruption scandal, reversing the Greens' trend towards 13% in the polls; likewise, Tory lawmaker Beata Fischman's scandal further fueled the Greens' popularity as an alternative to Labour.
The 27 April 2020 elections saw Labour fall to 49.27% of the vote and 15/30 seats, overperforming expectations, while the Lib Dems fell to 19.78% and 6/30 seats, the Greens rose to 19.77% and 6/30 seats, and the Tories fell to 11.18% and 3/70 seats. Labour lost a seat to the Greens, thus losing their single-seat majority on the council. The Greens overperformed expectations, although they narrowly undershot their goal of becoming the main opposition to Labour, with the Lib Dems clinging on by .01%. Winsted won re-election with the votes of 18 councillors to Trina Allen's 7.
The council proceeded to vote 15-7 to fund Bristol's football team, 12-6 for drug liberalization, 23-0 for birthright citizenship, and 16-7 for a luxury tax to reverse the city's gradual economic downturn. The city also voted 24-0 to lower the voting age from 18 to 15, 15-8 to keep the robbery penalty, 19-3 to legalize prostitution, 24-1 to legalize gambling, 21-2 for a coffee tax, 10-8 against national service, 21-3 against a copyright law, 14-10 for a dog license program, 18-7 for fossil fuel subsidies, and 17-9 for an election majority bonus (failing to meet the city's constitutional threshold). On 26 April 2021, fundraising records showed Labour in first with 259 million GBP, followed by the Lib Dems with 204 million, the Greens with 139 million, and the Tories with 78 million, indicating a major Lib Dem breakthrough at the next election. The next week, Charlene O'Dowd defected from the Greens to Labour.
On 24 May 2021, new elections were held to the city council. Labour experienced a catastrophic defeat, falling from 49.27% of the vote and 15/30 seats to 39.91% and 12/30 seats. The Lib Dems surged in the polls, rising from 19.78% and 6/30 seats to 30.92% and 9/30 seats. The Greens stagnated at 19.72% and 6/30 seats, recovering the seat lost to O'Dowd's betrayal, while the Tories also stagnated at 9.45% and 3/30 seats. The ensuing mayoral election saw the Greens help Labour secure 17 votes to Allen's 11, with the Green leadership deciding that center-left Labour was a better ally on the council than the centrist Lib Dems, whose economic policies might conflict with the Greens' eco-socialism. The election was followed by four weeks of Green "climate strikes".
The council went on to vote 15-9 against data privacy, 12-12 against mandatory vaccinations, 17-8 for a plastic tax (which led the Greens to fall from 20% to 18%), 23-3 for fishing regulations, 21-4 against protest prohibition, and 21-6 to abolish the luxury tax. Labour lawmaker Jordie Grimby was implicated in a corruption scandal, denting his party's popularity, and a 28 February 2022 fundraising data release showed Labour down to 245 million raised, while the Lib Dems followed with 241 million, the Greens with 140 million, and the Tories with 109 million. The council went on to vote 19-7 against a national lottery, and 21-4 for highway tolls. The Greens, who once polled as low as 14%, recovered popularity by mounting media attacks on the Tories before they could unleash their growing momentum.
On 13 June 2022, new elections saw the Liberal Democrats win 35.24% and 10/30 seats, Labour fell to 32.06% and 10/30 seats, the Greens fell to 18.83% and 6/30 seats, and the Tories rose to 13.86% and 4/30 seats. Both the Lib Dems and Tories picked up seats from Labour, while the Greens continued to maintain their seat count amid electoral stagnation. The council went on to vote 17-5 for parliamentary immunity, and the Lib Dems' support for this measure motivated the Greens to help prop up Winsted, who won 14 votes to Allen's 10.
The council proceeded to vote 22-0 to protect plant varieties, 24-0 to make Bristol a "smart city", 18-6 to keep the coffee tax, 14-12 for bank secrecy, 16-9 against a school bus tax, 14-14 against arts subsidies, 24-3 for a housing tax, and 13-6 against a port tax. In mid-2023, the Greens launched several weeks of environmental protests, while Lib Dem lawmaker Collin Dingell's corruption scandal and a nuclear incident helped boost their popularity.
On 3 July 2023, Labour rose to 33.27% and 10/30 seats, the Lib Dems fell to 28.47% and 8/30 seats, the Greens rose to 22.42% and 7/70 seats, and the Tories rose to 15.845 and 5/30 seats. The Lib Dems lost support to both the right and the left, while the Tories took advantage of left-wing infighting to propose a right-wing solution to Bristol's problems. The Greens again lent their support to Labour, and Winsted won 16 votes to Allen's 8.
The next council term saw the councilmembers vote 24-1 for food control, 18-7 against capital punishment, and 22-4 against protest prohibition. By 18 September 2023, Tory councillor Louise Pearsall's corruption scandal caused the Greens to gain support; a poll taken that week showed that Labour had 34.5% support, the Lib Dems 28%, the Greens 23.5%, and the Tories 14%. Not long after, Reform UK announced its intention to contest council elections. The council proceeded to vote 25-0 for healthcare expansion, and, in May 2024, Tory leader Chantrelle Peate caused a political earthquake when she defected to Reform UK and became its first Bristol councillor. The council also voted 14-9 for a child benefit.
On 22 July 2024, a few weeks after the 4 July general election, the city council held elections. Labour fell to 30.01% and 9/30 seats, the Greens rose to 25.68% and 8/30 seats, the Lib Dems fell to 25.38% and 8/30 seats, the Tories fell to 10.49% and 3/30 seats, and Reform UK won 8.45% and 2/30 seats. In the ensuing mayoral election, 17 councillors chose Winsted, while only 8 councillors - the Greens - chose their leader Gary Davies.
The new council voted 15-8 for mandatory vaccinations, 13-11 against a smoking ban, 12-9 against a luxury tax, 14-8 against data privacy, 20-3 for a GMO ban, 15-8 against a land tax, 19-8 for a church tax, 19-10 for a symbolic resolution advocating leaving NATO (supported by the Greens and Labour), and 23-1 for an ambulance service. The Greens mobilized public support through manufacturing scandals to harm the other parties, while Reform benefited from left-wing chaos. On 11 August 2025, new elections saw Labour rise to 32.05% and 9/30 seats, the Greens rise to 27.6% and 8/30 seats, the Lib Dems fell to 15.79% and 5/30 seats, Reform rose to 21.4% and 4/30 seats, and the Tories rose to 12.16% and 4/30 seats. Winsted was again re-elected with 16 votes to Davies' 5.
The council went on to vote 17-2 for arts subsidies and 16-4 for a public smoking ban, and an economic downturn led to several budget cuts. The Greens decided to sink the economy with climate strikes, and they helped vote for an election majority bonus, hoping to place in first at the next election. As the Greens aimed to destroy Labour, the new Tory leader Beata Fischman defected to the Liberal Democrats.
On 31 August 2026, new elections were held. The Greens placed in first with 35.84% of the vote, winning them 14/30 seats on the city council. Labour fell to 23.55% and 6/30 seats, the Lib Dems rose to 19.81% and 5/30 seats, Reform fell to 11.95% and 3/30 seats, and the Tories fell to 8.86% and 2/30 seats. However, Winsted was re-elected with 14 votes to Davies' 24, as two Green councillors crossed party lines.