Green party set for ballot box challenge at general election
THE Green Party has urged Stockport residents to send a message about the climate crisis by backing its candidates in the general election.
It plans to stand in all three Stockport seats in Parliament as it looks to the borough for its next MP.
This includes the marginal areas of Cheadle and Hazel Grove, where Conservative MPs have majorities of less than 5,000.
The Denton and Reddish seat is set to be abolished in the next election as part of a constituency boundary review, with the Reddish wards being represented by the MP for Stockport, currently Labour’s Navandu Mishra.
Alex Drury, the Green candidate for Cheadle, said: “It’s important to me that everyone that wants to send a message with their vote that the climate crisis is important to them, they are given an opportunity to do that on the ballot paper.
“We’ve seen a lot of rolling back from climate change comments from Labour and the
Conservatives over the last few years, this is a platform to put our views across about that.”
The 41-year-old Gatley resident added: “The Conservatives don’t have any councillors in Stockport at the moment, that’s telling for their prospects in this election.”
Mr Drury said he wasn’t worried about potentially taking votes away from other parties, as he wanted to use his platform to push the Green agenda.
This includes increasing renewable energy as a top priority to help people with the cost of living crisis.
Research has found that Hazel Grove is one of the seat where residents feel strongly about green issues which could decide which way the vote goes.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service recently visited the area and heard about how locals in Marple want improved public transport and roads.
Tory MP William Wragg is the MP for Hazel Grove and is set to step down at the next election.
It leaves the Conservatives facing a fight to hold onto their 4,000 majority.
The Cheadle and Hazel Grove seats will see Stockport become an election battleground this year, which could have an impact on who forms the next government.
Mr Drury said his party had previously stood down from elections in areas such as Cheadle as part of a “progressive alliance”, but this year would be different.
He explained: “In 2019 we stood down in Cheadle as part of a progressive alliance, Labour didn’t do that and they pulled in about 6,500 votes.
“But there’s no progressive alliance this time around, Labour were not interested in that and neither were the Lib Dems.”
The date for the next general election has not yet been set, but it’s expected to be called for later this year.
Before that some voters will have the chance to vote for councillors in local elections in May.
Stockport Greens are represented on the council with three members in the Reddish
South ward. As a town hall under no overall control, smaller groups are able to have a bigger influence on the outcome of crucial votes.