GW66
Hitting the
target
Green World looks at
the target constituencies for the next general
election and asks members there how they are
preparing for the road to Westminster
Target Constituencies & General Election Leadership Team
Next year represents a fantastic opportunity for a Green Party breakthrough at Westminster. We’re targeting our time and resources in a way we never have before, focusing maximum effort on three constituencies: Lewisham Deptford, Norwich South, and, our best shot, Brighton Pavilion. We’ve got 3 brilliant opportunities to elect the country’s first Green MPs and great teams in each - but they need your support. Find out more about each of the constituencies below - and come and join us on this exciting campaign.
Constituencies Co-ordinator, Brighton & Hove Green Party
Here in Brighton, politics, and especially Green politics is rather exciting!
At the next general election we will see a three-way split since the Lib Dems are virtually non-existent in Brighton and Hove (they only have two council seats, and they are both in Hove); the Tories currently don’t even have a candidate, and the sitting Labour MP (who has quite a high personal vote) is standing down coupled with Labour’s vote being in free fall. Everything seems to be falling into place for us to win, and it’s not just us who are predicting this either – a recent YouGov poll has foreseen the same thing.
Greens here are already winning on a local level, as we have more councillors than any other party in the Brighton Pavilion constituency, and even, as I’ve seen first-hand, canvassing in wards where we don’t currently have any councillors, like Withdean, has yielded very positive data!
The number of Green councillors has at least doubled on the city council at every election since our first Green was elected some thirteen years ago.
Now I represent the thirteenth Green seat in thirteen years, as well as the first time we’ve taken a seat from the Tories, and our first ever seat in Hove. If we can get a vote share of 39% in a ward in Hove, which we have achieved, and a city-wide vote share of 31.5% at the European elections earlier this year, then we look set to win in Pavilion at the next general election.
Back in 2005, Keith Taylor took 22% of the vote, the best ever Green result in a UK parliamentary seat, and some 13% higher than in 2001. This time, we only need a further 8% to secure victory!
I’m a proper scouser, as they’d say back home, but left Liverpool for the continent when I was eighteen. Five years later and I was back in the UK, but this time in Brighton. I moved from Brussels for this job last year, simply because I was so excited about this particular campaign! I would urge you to come and spend some time with us in Brighton, one of the trendiest, greenest places in the country - you’ll have a laugh, and do your bit to make sure we achieve our first ever Green MP, and I’m sure you’ll agree that our party Leader, Caroline Lucas, will do us all proud!
Chris Williams
The prospect of electing two MPs at the general election is a welcome challenge. Adrian Ramsay has a great chance of winning, given the four-way split of parties here and the huge support base there already is in Norwich South, plus more support that we are tapping into in wards where we don’t yet have councillors.
The winning bar here may well be less than 30%, and given the regular 35% Norwich Greens are getting used to in local elections (10% clear of the nearest opposition), winning here is an exciting prospect.
Norfolk born and bred, I am not. I come from the West Midlands where I immersed myself as the paid worker for West Midlands Green Party’s European election campaign. Leaving an area I had put so much energy into was difficult but on learning of the situation in Norwich, I knew I had to come to help – if I don’t go, then why should anyone else bother? We can all help in some way in Norwich, Brighton and Lewisham. Electing Green MPs will have such a significant impact for the rest of the party.
People working on the ground really make a huge impact. If you can visit Norwich even if just once between now and the General Election, you will be working to elect one very deserving MP in Adrian.
And we desperately need donations too!
Get in touch to help or donate: 01603 611 909
chris.williams@greenparty.org.uk
adrianramsay.org.uk
Sue Luxton
As the Constituency Organiser for Darren Johnson’s campaign in Lewisham Deptford it’s been great to see more and more people getting involved. Many local residents are regularly leafleting their own street or estate because they want to see a Green MP and more Green councillors elected. We have also been grateful for the help we’ve received from Green Party members from around the country - but we could do with much more!
That is why I would urge you to come along to one of Action Saturdays if you have not yet become involved. These take place on the third Saturday of each month and those who come along can choose to do leafleting, doorknocking or a mixture of both. It’s a good opportunity to meet other Greens and learn more about election campaigning. We try to make it a fun experience, too, so food and drink is always available and we end the day with a social event. At our March Action Saturday we will be aiming to deliver our one millionth leaflet since we began campaigning in the constituency - so there will be an extra celebration then.
If you can help in any way at all call me on 020 8690 0658 or email me at:
sue.luxton@greenparty.org.uk
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