Local Elections: Greens' road to Westminster starts May 1st
02 April 2008
The Green Party has launched its campaign for the May 1st local elections, with Caroline Lucas MEP, Cllr Adrian Ramsay and Cllr Darren Johnson AM paying a visit to Parliament.
The local elections are widely seen as a barometer of support for the general election, and, Greens are set to make gains that will demonstrate that they are on the road to Westminster. Both Caroline Lucas and Adrian Ramsay will fight seats in which the Greens already lead Labour on local vote share, having overtaken them since 2005, and Darren Johnson has slashed the Labour lead in Lewisham Deptford.
The Green election campaign will promote 5 key policies to promote social and environmental justice, including free school meals and free insulation.
After the Westminster launch, Caroline Lucas and Adrian Ramsay made their way to Norwich to launch the campaign to make the Norwich Greens the second party on the council, a position they missed out on last time by just one vote.
Caroline Lucas said of the launch: "Green councillors have already introduced life-changing and life-saving measures like free insulation, and 20mph zones. By voting Green on May 1st, you can vote for more socially and environmentally just, more democratic and more competent local government.
"When people elect Greens, they like what they get. That's why we're constantly gaining more councillors, and it's why we'll make big gains next month.
"Local election results are rightly seen as a barometer for parliamentary results. Since the last general election, Greens in both Brighton Pavilion, and Norwich South have overtaken the Labour incumbents
"In Norwich, we are set become the official opposition on the council on the second of May. That's the result to watch - if Adrian becomes the leader of the opposition, then the next stop for him is taking Charles Clarke's seat at Westminster.
"In Lewisham Deptford, Darren Johnson has outstripped Liberal Democrats and Conservatives to present a very serious threat to a formerly safe Labour seat.
"So these elections, which may be the last before the General Election - will show that Greens are on the road to Westminster." (1)
The Greens' campaign will focus on key initiatives that Green councillors will push to introduce in councils across the country. They include:
Free insulationRenewable energy on council buildingsFree school meals20mph limits in built-up areasAffordable housing
Details on the three Parliamentary targets:
Caroline Lucas MEP, Brighton Pavilion
Former Oxfordshire councillor, and now South East MEP, Caroline will fight the Greens' key target of Brighton Pavilion. Within the constituency boundaries, the party took 30% of the vote to Labour's 25% at the last local elections, a share they need only to hold in the general election to take the seat from Labour's new candidate.
Cllr Adrian Ramsay, Norwich South
Adrian Ramsay leads the Green group on Norwich City Council, which is set second party and official opposition by winning the extra seat needed to pass the Lib Dems - at last year's election, they missed out by just one vote. As in Brighton, the Greens took first place in the most recent election. with 30% of the vote, 7 points ahead of incumbent Charles Clarke's Labour.
Cllr Darren Johnson AM, Lewisham Deptford
Darren Johnson is the high-profile Lewisham councillor, London AM and former Mayoral candidate who heads the national Association of Green Councillors. Greens took 27% of the vote within the constituency at the last borough elections, approximately that of the Conservatives and Lib Dems combined, and Darren is now the serious challenger for Joan Ruddock's formerly safe seat.
Details on policy themes:
1. Free Insulation
Green councillors around the country are introducing free residential insulation schemes, which can halve domestic fuel bills, cut carbonemissions and create local, sustained jobs. In Kirklees this has already been implemented by Green councillors, with over 30,000 homes receiving free insulation.
2. Renewable energy on council buildings
The Green Party is pressing for the introduction of renewable energy programmes to council owned buildings (schools, housing, offices, depots), allowing a greater proportion of energy to be produced by clean sources and freeing money for other areas of government.
3. Free School Meals
The Green Party's Free School meal campaign could provide 85% of the nation's children with healthy, free school meals, resulting in greater concentration levels in school, increased healthiness and greater life chances and expectancy.
4. 20mph zone in towns
Green councils support a 20mph zone in all built up areas to reduce deaths on our roads. 20% of people hit by cars at 30mph die, whereas only 2.5% die if hit by a car traveling at 20mph. Green councillors have already been delivering this policy (Lancaster and Islington) and will be adopted soon in councils all over the country.
5. Affordable housing.
The lack of affordable homes is a real crisis with just 37% of people able to afford to buy a property: lower than the 1980s. Greens oppose privatisation of social housing and instead will continue to use their influence on planning decisions and local authority budgets to maximise the availability of affordable housing within all new developments
Notes for editors
1. For a full text of the launch speech at Westminster by Caroline Lucas and Adrian Ramsay, go to http://www.greenparty.org.uk/speeches
