Green Party launches local election campaign with pledge to build a Green Recovery in Warwickshire

The Green Party will today (31 March) launch its local election campaign with a pledge to build a Green Recovery in every community across the county.

Ahead of the local elections on 6 May, the Greens are looking to build on their record results from the last local elections in 2019, which saw the party more than double their number of councillors in the UK.

In Warwickshire, 18 Green councillors and their teams work for residents at various levels.

This year, the party is looking to win even more seats and has pledged that each and every councillor will continue the hard work of those currently elected in bringing about a Green Recovery from the coronavirus pandemic which will tackle climate change and reduce inequality.

The Green Party Leader at Warwickshire County Council Cllr Jonathan Chilvers (Leamington Brunswick) has been reflecting on why the party has always appealed to him personally: "I have found people in the Green Party to be committed to improving the lives of others, respectful of others and with oodles of integrity - in other words they don't just talk the talk, they walk the walk. And that, to me, is priceless."

Will Roberts, the Green candidate for Leamington Willes ward, said: "We know how important it is to strengthen our communities, to make them safer and how vital it is to create more jobs locally, so that people can retain good work-life balance. We have real plans on how to tackle crime, keep people in employment and support our independent businesses, we are so proud of".

While the Greens have welcomed others' support for its Green New Deal, Greens across the country would go further, faster to transform the UK's housing to make all homes warmer and more energy-efficient, revolutionise our transport and rapidly roll out renewable energy across the country.

Hundreds of thousands of low carbon jobs would be created to carry out this work.

Cllr Tracey Drew, a Green WDC councillor and candidate for Park Hill Ward in Kenilworth, reflects on the past five years in the local party history: "In Kenilworth we've gone from brand new local party launch in 2016 to seeing eight town and three district councillors elected in 2019 to standing in the county elections in 2021.

"Just me or is that a mammoth achievement in five years? If elected onto the county council, I will continue working on residents' priorities, such as traffic speed, green spaces, green jobs, and social care.

"From conversations with residents, we know that people love what we are doing, they see the difference and trust we can do more."