Optimistic bunch of Greens, with Alexandra Phillips, lead candidate for the South East, second from left, and MP Caroline Lucas, third from right (photo: Green Party).

Greens look to carry forward local election boost to EU poll

The Green Party is hoping the wave of support it enjoyed in the local elections will carry over to next week’s poll for the European Parliament. Their lead candidate for the South East will visit Hastings and St Leonards on Sunday. Nick Terdre reports.

The local elections this month saw the Greens make a net gain of 194 seats, giving them a record total of 362 councillors, according to Chris Williams, head of elections for the Green Party of England and Wales. They are now represented on a record 122 councils.

With the Liberal Democrats also gaining hundreds of seats, while the Conservatives, Labour and Ukip lost large numbers, the outcome was taken as a surge of support for anti Brexit parties.

Alexandra Phillips, the Greens’ lead candidate on its slate of 10 for the South East (not to be confused with the eponymous candidate, also in the South East, for Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party), will visit Hastings and St Leonards on Sunday 19 May.  Travelling on a Big Green electric bus, she will stop to meet the public in Warrior Square at 3-4pm and East Parade in the Old Town, opposite the boating lake, at 4-5pm.

MP Caroline Lucas may also be on board.

Important elections

“I’m looking forward to meeting people in Hastings on Sunday afternoon,” said Ms Phillips. “These elections are incredibly important. Brexit, the climate emergency and the chaos at the top of British politics put us at a defining moment in our history. There’s never been a more important time to vote for Greens in Europe.

“Not only will we carry the Remain flag: we are also the only party that will truly grapple with the issues of climate change. The UK’s other political parties still want to kick the solutions into the long grass: they want the next generation to solve the climate crisis but we all know that it has to be tackled now.

“Greens in Europe will take on the big issues and help to hand the next generation a healing world, rather than a worsening problem.”

The deputy mayor of Brighton and Hove council, Ms Phillips is seeking to take over the seat held since 2010 by Green MEP Keith Taylor, who is now retiring.

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