19 November 2021
- Urban voters not Greens’ only target, as Adrian Ramsay begins campaign for a seat in Conservative heartlands.
- Co-leader Carla Denyer is already the MP candidate for a seat in Bristol.
- Greens are the main challenger to both Conservative seats and Labour ones
- Announcement comes as party support continues to rise
The Green Party has demonstrated its ambition to win seats in traditionally Conservative rural constituencies as well as in cities as the Party’s co-leader Adrian Ramsay has today announced he will be the Green parliamentary candidate in North Suffolk for the next General Election.
Adrian Ramsay joins his co-leader Carla Denyer in standing for a high-profile constituency campaign, with Denyer aiming to win an MP seat in Bristol.
Adrian said: “The ‘Blue Wall’ of Conservative power in the countryside is not as strong as Conservative politicians would have us believe. Greens are already the main opposition to the Conservatives on Suffolk County Council, and nationally, the Green Party is polling above the Liberal Democrats. Our clear ambition to win a seat in Suffolk, as well as winning in Bristol, demonstrates the Greens’ confidence that we can take seats in all areas of the country and from both main parties.”
At the launch of the constituency campaign in North Suffolk today, Adrian Ramsay will highlight the issues affecting rural communities, including concerns about unsustainable development that is damaging the countryside and putting strain on local infrastructure.
Adrian Ramsay will be calling for greater local say over planning policy in rural areas like Suffolk, and for investment in public transport, especially buses.
Adrian said: “This Government has taken people in the countryside for granted. As a result of this, the blue wall is crumbling, as we’ve seen from recent by-election wins by the Greens, including one at Aldeburgh and Leiston. As an MP for this area, I would be able to take their concerns – about housing and transport for example – to the heart of Westminster.
“The Green Party has always had a vision to empower local communities and revitalise rural economies, and this is ever more important as we work to tackle the climate emergency and prioritise local well-being.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- North Suffolk Constituency is the constituency proposed by the Boundary Commission which should come into force by June 2023 for the next scheduled General Election. It covers an area from Bungay in the north East to Framlingham in the South East, Rattlesden in the South West and Bardwell in the North West. If there is an earlier General Election called under the current boundaries, Adrian will be the candidate for Bury St Edmunds constituency.
- Adrian Ramsay, 40, is a prominent figure in local politics, having been a leading spokesperson for the party in the East for much of the last two decades. In 2003 he became one of the youngest councillors in Britain when he was elected to Norwich City Council. He led the rapid growth of the party in Norwich, becoming leader of the opposition to the Labour council there. He was Deputy Leader of the Green Party from 2008-2012, and was part of the team that co-organised the successful election of Caroline Lucas as Britain’s first Green MP in 2010. Since his previous time in politics, Adrian has been chief executive of two national environmental charities. He has also worked as a senior lecturer in environmental politics and economics. Adrian returned to from line politics last month when he was elected as Co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, alongside Bristol councillor Carla Denyer.
- Green Party councillors have 12 seats on Mid Suffolk District Council making them the main opposition to Conservatives there, together with the 5 LibDem councillors they equal the 17 Conservative councillors.
- Across Suffolk there are 22 Green District Councillors and 9 Green county councillors.
- In the December 2019 General Election, Bury St Edmunds constituency, Suffolk, had the highest Green vote share in the country against a Conservative incumbent (16%). This was also the fourth highest Green vote of all constituencies.
- The nine Green Suffolk County Councillors make the Greens the second largest group to the Conservatives: more Green councillors than any other county council and the only county in the UK where Greens are the main opposition to the Conservatives.
- The Green Party has for several months been frequently at third place in national opinion polls.
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