The Mid Devon Green party has announced its candidates for the coming local election on 6th May, as polling reveals a surge in support for the Green Party across England.
Stoodleigh resident, and experienced councillor Trevor Cope, is standing for Devon County Council in Tiverton West, and Tiverton Tree Team founder Rosie Wibberley for District Council in West Exe. The Greens are also standing candidates in the county wards of Willand & Uffculme, Cullompton & Bradninch, and Creedy Taw & Mid Exe as well as the District ward of Taw. You can find details of the candidates here.
The Greens expect to do well at the ballots this year as national polls indicate a near doubling in Green support in recent months, putting the Green Party as the third most popular party in the UK.
In 2019, the first two Green councillors were elected to Mid Devon District Council, following a similar surge in Green votes. Green Party candidate for Tiverton West, Trevor Cope, said “support for the Green Party is at an all-time high. People across the country are asking for councillors to do more about the climate emergency, and about economic inequality. Local Green councillors like Cllr Elizabeth Wainwright and Cllr Jo Norton are showing the fantastic results you get when you vote for Greens. Now we need to see the same happen at county level.”
“Two thirds of the councillors on Devon County Council are Conserative. This makes Devon practically a one-party state. They’re getting complacent and this needs to change. We need to elect people who are going to hold the council to account and do what needs to be done in our county to address the crises of our time: the climate emergency, housing, and transport. As can be seen across the country, no-one does that like the Green Party.”
Recently, Leader of Mid Devon District Council, Bob Deed, sacked Green Councillor Elizabeth Wainwright from her cabinet position for Climate Change for not voting for the budget, and abolished the separate Climate Change portfolio. A deluge of supportive emails and letters reached both Elizabeth and local newspapers, expressing disappointment and outrage that this has been allowed to happen, especially given the acknowledged progress on the Climate agenda at the Council.
"This is a backward step for the District Council” said Elizabeth, “especially given the council unanimously voted to support the Devon Climate Declaration in 2019. Other local authorities have created separate climate portfolios for a reason. It is a move away from investing in our place and in the next generation."
The election is taking place on 6th May this year.
For more information on the Green Party candidates standing in your area go to middevon.greenparty.org.uk/people
Contacts: tel 01647 24789 or 0742 199 4814 or adamblakerich@gmail.com
