Green Party co-leader in Havant visit
Ramsay meets with party candidates ahead of next week’s local elections
THE co-leader of The Green Party paid a visit to Havant as part of a Hampshire-wide tour supporting local election campaigns.
Adrian Ramsay met Shelley Saunders along with other Green Party candidates in Leigh Park on Monday, ahead of the local elections next week.
Mr Ramsay was previously the deputy leader of the party from 2008 to 2012 and is now co-leader for England and Wales alongside Carla Denyer.
He said it’s great supporting campaigns around the country
while ‘working to get more Green councillors elected’.
‘Over the last three years we’ve seen the numbers of Green councillors triple across the country and in 2021 the Green Party was the biggest beneficiary of by-election wins of any party,’ he said.
‘Many of which were in the south east, many of which were winning seats from the Conservatives, as will be the case here.
‘It’s about offering a positive alternative to people which lots of people are looking for at the moment – they can see we need more action on the environment.’
Mrs Saunders, who is standing for Bondfields ward, said that if elected, she will continue to listen to local people and tackle issues that affect them.
She said: ‘Unlike other party candidates, I will be a councillor who does not have to toe the party line – leaving me free to hold the council to account and insisting that they put the needs of residents first.’
Fellow Bondfields ward candidate and Conservative leader of Havant Borough Council, Alex Rennie, said his party takes the environment ‘really seriously’.
‘As a council, we have already made a commitment to reach net zero in line with the government’s plans,’ he said.
‘We’re always looking to go further and deliver green policies and we are currently bringing forward our climate change and environment action plan which builds upon the strategy that was approved at council last year.
‘We also as a council are taking the opportunity having withdrawn our local plan to introduce more green initiatives in planning.’
The other candidates standing in the ward are Jason Horton for Labour and Maria Miller for the Liberal Democrats.