The Green Party have selected their Science and Technology Spokesperson Esther Obiri-Darko to fight the high-profile Tooting by-election on 16 June 2016.
Obiri-Darko is a long-standing Tooting resident and local campaigner who has represented the Greens in two previous elections. The by-election in Tooting was called after Sadiq Khan, the previous constituency MP, was elected Mayor of London earlier this month.
The Greens have seen a steady growth in their support in the area. The 2015 General Election saw them cement their position as the third biggest party in the area, finishing ahead of the Liberal Democrats and UKIP.
Obiri-Darko said:
“I love living in Tooting but like so many residents I simply don’t feel secure. I rent privately and know how insecure that can make you feel.
"I’ve seen the affect on friends and family as their rents go up and up. I am worried about the future of health services in this part of London with the women’s services at St George’s Hospital coming under threat. And I hate having to wheeze every time I step outside and get hit by the car fumes and smog.
“Like all by-elections there’s a danger that this contest will become a side-show for the fighting between Labour and the Tories with the issues that matter most to people in Tooting being completely forgotten. That’s why I am standing - to make sure that Tooting has a voice. A vote for the Green Party in this election is a vote for the future of St George’s, for more secure housing, and for better health.”
Natalie Bennett, Leader of the Green Party, said:
“Having seen Esther operate at the highest levels in politics as a national Green Party spokesperson I know just what a passionate, effective, and inspiring campaigner she is. To anyone living in Tooting worried about their housing or their children’s housing or concerned that the NHS is being squeezed out of existence I have a simple message: vote for Esther because I know just how much she cares about these issues and just how much she could achieve.”
Notes
For more information on Esther Obiri-Darko, see:
https://wandsworth.greenparty.org.uk/news/2016/05/16/esther-obiri-darko-for-tooting-by-election/