Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer visits Bristol Rovers stadium – in pictures

Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer was in Bristol this afternoon (Monday 17 June) for a visit to one of the city’s football stadiums. He was at the Memorial Stadium, home of Bristol Rovers, alongside Bristol Central Labor candidate Thangam Debbonaire.

All three main party leaders were on the campaign trail on Monday, visiting battleground seats that will determine the outcome of next month’s general election – and Bristol Central is sure to be one of them where Greens candidate and co-leader party’s Carla Denyer is hoping for an upset of Labour.

Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to the Memorial Stadium this afternoon was a chance for him to discuss Labour’s plans to pass the Football Governance Bill. The bill has not yet been passed by Parliament due to Rishi Sunak’s decision to call a general election on July 4, inevitably delaying the passage of the legislation.

Read on

That now means the bill will have to be taken up by the next government. The bill would see the government appoint an independent regulator to oversee how English football’s pyramid is run.

Five years ago, Bury FC, a club with a rich history, evaporated, while other historic clubs such as Derby County and Bolton Wanderers have faced the financial abyss in recent years. In 2021, six Premier League clubs agreed to join a European Super League before ultimately withdrawing. The bill would ensure that none of these can be repeated.

During his visit to the home of Bristol Rovers, Sir Keir Starmer told club staff and fans that Labor was adamant that getting the bill through parliament would be a priority if they were to win power. Along with Ms Debbonaire, she was given a tour of the stadium by Bristol Rovers staff, met players from the academy and women’s team. The pair were also invited to print their own Rovers shirts with ‘Change 24’ printed on the back.

Scroll down for pictures from today’s visit and come back here later for a full report of Bristol Live’s interview with the Labor leader

CONTINUE READING