First Green Party councillor reacts to by-election win
Hampshire County Council’s first Green member has vowed to tackle residents’ concerns about widespread cuts to services and the “terrible state of our rivers”.
Malcolm Wallace, the Green Party candidate, was elected following a Hampshire County Council by-election for the Meon Valley ward last Thursday.
Cllr Wallace won with 2,083 votes, beating Liberal Democrat candidate
Vivian Achwal (1,906), the Conservative Party’s Neil Bolton (1,630) and Labour’s Oliver Hirsch (199).
He could only be in the role for a year as there will be county council elections next year.
But he said he is already working with the county on “several issues” around “improving local infrastructure” and “community energy”.
Cllr Wallace said: “My new role should provide the opportunity to move these projects forward faster and also to push forward on other issues that local residents have raised with me, including the disproportionate impact that the proposed Hampshire cuts will have on local residents, and the terrible state of our rivers.”
He said the Green Party vote had grown “massively” across the Meon Valley last year when he came second to the Conservatives in the last Hampshire County Council elections.
Cllr Wallace, who also represents Central Meon Valley ward on Winchester City Council, added: “If this year’s county by-election had been based on how residents had voted in 2023, the Greens would win. So, we knew that we had a good chance.
“However, a county council election is very different to a district election, and we have worked hard over the past few weeks since the by-election was announced to engage with residents throughout the area.
“The positive feedback we have received from residents from all across the division (from Whiteley in the south to West Meon in the north) was reflected in the results.”
Around the country, the Green Party ended the weekend with its highestever total of 812 councillors and became the largest party on Bristol City Council.
We’ve worked hard to engage with residents throughout the area