Norwich is the capital city of Norfolk and East Anglia. It is big enough to have all the facilities needed in a city but small enough to have its own unique character and sense of community. The desire to retain the distinctive character of the city – and to promote independent and local businesses rather than more chain stores and shopping malls – is one of the reasons the Green Party strikes a chord with Norwich residents. Norwich was named as the greenest city in the country in a study looking at the number of green-minded businesses across the country. Some of these business people have had the confidence to set up in Norwich because of Green Party success – showing a high level of environmental awareness among residents and potential customers.
I joined when I was aged 16 and studying A levels. For several years I had felt strongly about environmental issues, animal rights and tackling poverty in the developing world. I saw the Green Party’s 1998 local election broadcast and watched Peg Alexander (then Principal Speaker) on Question Time and decided to join the Green Party.
When did you first become a councillor and what were the key points in that campaign?
I was first elected as a City Councillor in 2003 at the age of 21, obtaining 50% of the vote. Key issues in that election campaign were the protection of green spaces, the need to improve recycling facilities and the importance of pedestrian safety measures in various parts of the ward. We concentrated all our leafleting and canvassing efforts on one ward – as is necessary for success under first-past-the-post.
Tell me how the Green Party has developed in Norwich since you became a councillor?
When I was first elected in 2003 there were three Greens on the City Council and the LibDems had a large majority over Labour. We have annual elections and have increased our number of seats each year since then. We now have ten seats on Norwich City Council – just one seat behind the LibDems and five behind Labour. We also have two seats on Norfolk County Council. In the 2007 local elections, we finished in first place across all the wards that make up the Norwich South constituency. Now we have to convert our local election support into votes at the General Election.
We keep residents informed about our work through year-round leafleting and door-knocking – and responding promptly to casework enquiries is crucial. However, this hard work has only made an impact because we also have distinctive policies to offer – and it is encouraging how much our ethos ties in with residents’ concerns on the ground such as pedestrian safety measures, strong planning policies on levels of affordable housing and renewable energy in new developments.
When did you decide you wanted to stand as an MP?
In 2003 I decided to stand for selection for the last General Election. We doubled our vote then and secured further local election success since so I was keen to stand again.
What do you think you could achieve as a Green MP? What would you be setting out to do?
There are so many crucial issues on which the other opposition parties simply fail to challenge the Government. To take a few examples: the need to localise the economy rather than promote ever more unnecessary long distance trading, and to secure Fair Trade for those goods that cannot be produced locally; the need to encourage repair shops and re-use schemes rather than more cheap new goods and throw-away items; the need to replace factory farming and animal experiments with ethical alternatives.
The election of the first Green MPs would in itself have a major political impact and it would mean that there was a strong Green voice inside Parliament fighting for these causes. In terms of representing Norwich as an MP, so many of the issues residents raise with us are ones that require national action. For example: the need to regulate the buses to secure reasonably-priced, reliable local services; the need for taxes on packaging; the increasing privatisation of our public services, including parts of the NHS and education provision.
How is your campaign developing now? How are you persuading the electors of Norwich to vote for you?
We have been delivering ward newsletters in our strongest wards for years but inspired by Brighton’s Greenleaf we have now started producing a newspaper that informs residents about our national policies and campaigns as well as our work at a local level. Showing residents that we have distinctive, progressive policies on a full range of issues is key to converting our local election support into General Election votes. Further gains at next year’s local elections will also help build our credibility in challenging Charles Clarke for the Norwich South seat and show that we are the main challenger to Labour in this constituency.
Does the issue of your relatively young age ever come up?
Much less so than when I was first elected! Sometimes people who do not know me ask how I got so involved at my age but most residents and council officers have been used to me being a councillor for four and a half years now so there is nothing new about it. As long as I am doing a good job in the ward I don’t think residents are concerned about my age – and some comment that it is refreshing to see young people involved in politics!
Please help the Norwich campaign. Accommodation can be provided and travel expenses refunded. Contact Constituency Organiser Tom Dylan on 01603 611909 or help@norwichgreenparty.org and visit www.norwichgreenparty.org to find out more.
