The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
We are focused on local matters
Many residents will have now received and returned their postal vote for the council elections which take place on May 2.
We are confident that record numbers will vote Green this year. Many people have told us they will do so because we are the people who work hard and best represent them.
Last year in the local council elections the Greens came an overall third with 15% of the vote.
This year we are looking for a breakthrough, with many former Labour and Conservative voters supporting their local Green candidates.
They know that we are focused on local matters, from reporting street issues, ensuring their area is safe, to speaking up on planning applications and getting things put right.
We must ensure that the council is focused on the basics such as cleaning the streets, tackling homelessness and improving children’s services.
We should be honest about the fact that we are just not getting things right with some of the basic services, and be prepared to work through the challenges.
We have been concerned about the millions the council may lose on costly mistakes such as lending (and losing) millions to developers.
We deeply regret that we do not now have a regional swimming pool and feel this should be a priority for the forthcoming administration.
We do believe that the council should be focused on effective and efficient local services to improve our neighbourhoods.
More Greens on the council will bring better, transparent, more open and honest decision-making as already shown in areas with a large Green representation.
The party has 750 councillors on 168 councils in England and Wales. There are 38 councils where the Greens are in power or form part of the ruling administration.
Indeed, Green-run Mid-Suffolk District and neighbouring Babergh Council, where the Green party hold the most seats in a three party coalition, have recently been named joint ‘UK Councils of the Year’ for their vision to innovate public services in the county.
This year the Peterborough Greens are hoping to do well in several wards.
Ed Murphy in Orton Waterville and Imtiaz Ali in Orton Longueville both stand a good chance of being elected and joining existing Green councillors me (Nicola Day) and Heather Skibsted.
We are looking to come second in several other wards, and hope to gain wins in Ravensthorpe with Qaiser Fareed and with Mohammed Aziz Munir in Central Ward.
We are also keeping an eye on our five young Green candidates, particularly Chelsea Windsor standing in West ward.
Many voters are disillusioned with the mainstream parties.
We do not want to see a football stadium built on the last remaining large
open blue-green space in the city centre.
People are telling us they want something different.
The Greens are dedicated to serving the community and our councillors are not whipped. This means they are able to vote for whatever is best for the communities which they represent.
Residents know we offer something new and we hope many will be supporting us on May 2.