Green Party deputy leader Zack Polanski came to Stroud recently to meet councillors and supporters. He talked about – among other things – the national party’s growth, its successes locally, and our prospects in the Gloucestershire County Council elections next May. Interview by Sue Fenton.

Q. Why do you like to visit local parties?

A. It’s one of the most enjoyable parts of my job. I love going to see what local councillors are up to and what’s happening in communities.

It’s not always positive – sometimes things are under threat in certain communities – but there are always good news stories.

Often it helps me spot patterns in what happens in different areas and that can help inform the way the national party thinks. It helps with strategic thinking, away from the siloes that can develop on the ground within local parties as they focus on the local issues.

It’s a privilege to use my platform to amplify local voices of local people at a national level.

Q. The Greens in Stroud now have 22 councillors on SDC and have formed a minority leadership. To what do you attribute the Greens’ strength in the area?

A. Our success here shows the importance of local campaigning. We know what it’s like to have Greens in this area and how effective they can be. There’s arguably nothing more important than local representation.

Stroud Greens aren’t people seeking power for its own sake, people who want a ‘career’ in politics; they are people who like to really get their hands in the soil and represent the community. They come into politics to make a difference. Some people in other parties are like that but what’s unique to the Greens that they’re all like that. There’s a philosophy of people getting involved because they want to see positive change in the community.

We don’t have big corporate backers; funding is from members and individual donations. Greens have only two vested interests: the people and the planet. When these are your only principles you make the best decisions.

All the best council groups have had real-world experience and that’s really important too. In Stroud, we have teachers, small business owners, scientists, health care workers, waste and recycling experts, parents.

Q. How has the Green Party changed since you joined in 2017? 

A. It’s grown phenomenally. We’re more confident, more professional. Some 1.9m people voted for the GP at the ballot box in the General Election, considerably more than ever before. And a lot more wanted to but thought we couldn’t win. But we showed that we can and do win.

There’s also an increasing sense of the party’s importance; it’s not a nice-to-have, it’s not a luxury. No other party is stepping up to protect the planet, tackle inequality, protect human rights, rejoin the EU, tax the super-rich, ensure people have access to green spaces. To achieve all these things, our society requires a party that has these values at its core.

The Green Party offers that real hope and real change, an alternative to the two-party system.

Q. What’s the biggest challenge for the Party?

A. The most special thing about the Greens is that we’re a grass roots democratic party. We’ll always support the one-member-one-vote principle.

But that can be a challenge too, when fighting elections, as there needs to be a clear message. There’s a creative tension when it comes to balancing local autonomy and clear national guidelines. But that can be resolved through listening, genuine deep listening that takes time. You should always know what you think about something but also be willing to listen to other arguments and be willing to change. And that goes for how councillors interact with other parties and with residents, too.

Q. How can we make it easier to find good council candidates?

A. We need to give those people who might be interested in standing, confidence that they can do it. There’s a really interesting difference between men and women in this respect. If you ask a man to stand they will give it a go. If you ask a woman they need to be asked six or seven times; they tend to give you reasons why they will not be good at it. This is why the #AskHerToStand campaign is so important; it’s about giving women the confidence that they can do the job well.

Whether it’s women or others who might not have been traditionally involved in politics, such as ethnic minorities and disabled people, we all have a responsibility to encourage people to get involved.

Arguably those who have doubts about whether they can do it are the perfect candidates because they’re not arrogant.

My message to potential candidates would be: yes, it’s a lot of work however you won’t be alone; there will be a team to support you. And you will get training in things like public speaking.

If you have doubts, think about the unique contribution you can make and how much we need the particular skills you do have, which could be writing speeches, being able to talk to people, understanding policy and data. The skills you see on TV that people think of as ‘politics’ are not the only skills the party needs.

If you don’t get involved because you’re not ready, you’re denying your community your unique contribution. Recognise the urgency of this moment; we have a climate crisis, a poverty crisis; we don’t have time to mess about. Just do it.

Finding people willing to support and organise is really important too. You don’t necessarily need to get elected. We need to explain to people what they will get out of being involved with the party. When people realise that leafletting can get councillors or MPs elected, for example, they realise their part in the bigger picture.

Q. Politicians have to speak in public; is this a challenge to potential councillors?

A. I came to politics from a background in theatre acting so I was used to public speaking; what was more of an issue for me was the policy and data aspect of politics, and I had a rapid learning curve in that respect.

For most people it’s the other way around: councillors typically understand the policy side but struggle with the public speaking. But it’s a skill that can be learned and I’ve seen some quite shy people blossom into confident speakers. So I’d say don’t let lack of experience in speaking put you off; there will be lots of support and training in that side of things.

Q. Some people say that the Greens are now the only socialist party; would you agree? And is this a facet we should be promoting more widely?

A. We don’t need labels as the word ‘Green’ demonstrates our values. And I know that ex-Tories will vote for ‘Green’ values but not ‘socialist’ values.

But we are very clear about our left-wing progressive values. We think the rich should pay their fair share and we stand for social justice, climate justice, racial justice, because there’s no environmental justice without them.

And the word ‘socialism’ doesn’t scare people like it used to. There’s a lot of merit in owning our values and I’m very interested in having conversations around this question.

Q. We have a lot of local campaigns around community access and ownership in Stroud District. What are your thoughts on this?

A. The pandemic really highlighted the importance of access to the outdoors. People appreciated green spaces more and those who don’t have gardens had a much harder time.

Biodiversity and green spaces are the most important thing we have. We’re in a biodiversity crisis, and having public space where the priority is people and wildlife is really important.

The challenge is providing community ownership – of land and buildings – in a world run by corporations. We should have emerged from a feudal system a long time ago, we need a more equal society that has property owned in common. That goes for public utilities and other shared assets. Everyone has a right to breathe clean air and drink clean water and have access to green space without feeling like they owe anything to anyone.

Something that really concerns me is the term ‘public/private space’: places where there are lots of rules like no photography, no ball games, no eating. It’s corporatisation of space and it sets a precedent for parks to go into private ownership. That’s the opposite of where we should be going, which is making land ownership more egalitarian, introducing common ownership of the land we walk in.

When I visited Stroud I had the chance to visit the Heavens Valley, which is a perfect example of a successful community campaign that aims to create public space where the priority is people and wildlife.

Q. How can Greens best fight the far right with its racist rhetoric?

A. We’re in a dangerous place where politics has never been more polarised. After 14 years of Conservative government it feels like we’re a broken country where nothing works. We talk about a cost of living crisis but actually it’s an equality crisis. 

We have a Labour government that promises change but that has continued austerity, appeasing racist rhetoric and fanning the flames by scapegoating the vulnerable when people’s worst instincts are appealed to.

We need to show that the threat often arrives by private jet, not dinghy. We need to offer the vision of a world where everyone is included and everyone has a stake.

We need to occupy the vacuum that Labour has left by not showing leadership, or we will see Reform get more successful. And you can’t challenge the right wing by calling them stupid; we have seen in the US what happens when we laugh at megalomaniacs.

There are tensions and legitimate concerns around things like housing shortages and the NHS and we need to have honest discussions around that. But these are from 14 years of under investment.

Q. What’s next for Stroud District Greens?

A. The party needs to grow quickly and the way to do that is at local level, where we represent local communities. We can be too humble; we need to know our strengths. We need to grow our belief that we can do it. We can and must be a huge force in British politics. We already know how unpopular the Tories are; and there is dissatisfaction with Labour, not least the belief that their MPs can become lobby fodder, told what to do and vote by party whips. That’s part of the reason we won in Bristol against a popular Labour MP.

This is the moment for Stroud. We have demonstrated that we can do it at a district level so the next stage starts with the GCC elections.

We have a slate of great candidates and every chance of growing the Green group of councillors significantly.

Zack is pictured with local councillors and supporters during his visit to Stroud.

The post ‘Greens can, and must, be a huge force in British politics’ appeared first on Stroud District Green Party.

Cllr Rothwell-Warn, who is a Green Party district councillor for Stroud Slade ward, is pictured at her graduation ceremony on November 25 at the Bristol Beacon. She took six years to complete her doctorate, most recently fitting in her part-time studies alongside her council duties and her work as a gardener.

Her achievement means she can add ‘Doctor’ to her existing title of ‘Councillor’. She already had a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degree and an M.Sc in Sustainable Development in Practice. She embarked on further studies because she felt that more needed to be known about the effects of prioritising academic outcomes over the well-being of students and their teachers.

During a 23-year career as a primary school teacher, Cllr Rothwell-Warn saw the then-Conservative government begin a massive shift to prioritising academic outcomes over the welfare and development of children, a trend that continued under successive governments.

She eventually left teaching in 2011, feeling “disillusioned and disempowered”.

The 60,000-word thesis she wrote for her doctoral research explored how education policies and their enactment have had a negative impact on teaching staff and their students.

“I found that there are ethical reasons for re-evaluating policies that are detrimental to teacher and student well-being, and curriculum content that has no relevance to today’s world. We need to reassess the purpose of education.”

Cllr Rothwell-Warn’s final exam, known as a ‘viva’, involved a gruelling three hours of questioning and explanation and despite passing the viva, she was too exhausted to celebrate at the time.

“It was only at the graduation ceremony a couple of months later that it really sank in and I finally acknowledged the relief as well as the achievement,” she said.

She now plans to apply for a postdoctoral fellowship, which would give her an opportunity to consolidate her research and to share it with the public. “I do not want my work to sit in an academic journal where it won’t be seen by anybody who needs to see it. The education sector in England is on its knees and in crisis and we’re not talking about it. The current education system is failing too many of our children and young people, and teachers continue to leave the profession in their droves – and this is not being reported on widely enough.”

She added: “As a councillor, I am keen that children and young people are included in decision-making around policies that impact on them. This is a concern shared by the Green Party, which leads Stroud District Council, and we are working towards finding ways to encourage as many young people as possible to have their say and to ensure that their voices are listened to.”

Anyone who would like to contact Natalie confidentially with information, concerns or experiences about anything relating to education in England, to help with her ongoing research, can email changeschoolingsystem@gmail.com 

The post Green councillor earns doctorate after six years of study appeared first on Stroud District Green Party.

Green Party councillors have been appointed to lead Stroud District Council, at the council’s Annual General Meeting, held last night (Thursday May 23) at Ebley Mill, following the recent local elections.  

Cllr Catherine Braun was elected to continue as Leader of the Council, with Cllr Pete Kennedy appointed as Deputy Leader.

Cllr Kate Kay becomes Chair of Council, with Cllr Matthew Sargeant taking the role of Vice-Chair of Council. 

Cllr Braun said: “The Green Party councillors are committed to working constructively with all councillors, regardless of political party, in the interests of the people of Stroud district. At the local election, we promised that we would work to restore trust in politics, and collaborative working is central to that pledge.

“As Council Leader for the past two years, I’ve found that by working in a cross-party way, we can generally agree with other councillors on the issues that matter, whether that’s investment in new social housing, action for climate and nature, or community initiatives to improve health and wellbeing.” 

Cllr Braun added: “I’m delighted to have such a fantastic team of Green councillors to form the new administration, including councillors with great experience of their role, and others who bring fresh ideas for ways to improve services to our communities. Although the Green Group doesn’t have a majority on the council, we are now the largest political group, and by taking an inclusive approach, we commit to providing effective leadership for the district”. 

Deputy Leader Cllr Pete Kennedy, who is also the Green Party parliamentary candidate for the Stroud constituency, said: “We are grateful to the tens of thousands of people who put their trust in the Green Party at the local elections, many of whom did so for the first time. We are committed to delivering on our manifesto commitments: warm and affordable homes; a clean and green district; thriving market towns and villages; public services that work; and restoring trust in politics.

Cllr Kennedy added: “We have a proud history of doing things differently in Stroud district. As a minority Green administration, we will provide clear political leadership of the council, while building cross-party consensus wherever possible. I want councillors from all parties to know that they can work with our Green leadership team and contribute fully in committee and council meetings. I believe the more we can all work together, the more we can achieve for the communities we are elected to serve.”

After the council elections on May 2, no party won the 26 councillors required for a majority. Greens won 22 seats, Labour 20, Conservatives 7 and Liberal Democrats 2. 

Last night’s council meeting confirmed the membership of council committees and working groups, as well as representatives on outside bodies, such as the Gloucestershire Police and Crime Panel.

The elected committee chairs and vice-chairs will work closely with committee members and council officers to develop the council’s strategies and oversee service delivery.

The chairs and vice-chairs of committees are as follows:

Community Services & Licensing 

Chair: Beki Aldam (Green, Thrupp)

Vice-chair: Marisa Godfrey (Green, The Stanleys)

Development Control 

Chair: Martin Baxendale (Green, Stroud Valley)

Vice-chair: Helen Fenton (Green, Chalford)

Environment 

Chair: Chloe Turner (Green, Minchinhampton)

Vice-chair: Martin Brown (Green, Bisley)

Housing 

Chair: Gary Luff (Green, Painswick & Upton) 

Vice-chair: Lucas Schoemaker (Green, Stroud Trinity)

Strategy & Resources 

Chair: Catherine Braun (Green, Wotton)

Vice-chair: Pete Kennedy (Green, Painswick & Upton)

Audit & Standards 

Chair: Bob Hughes (Labour, Dursley)

Vice-chair: Martin Pearcy (Green, Coaley & Uley)

One committee (Audit and Standards) will be chaired by a Labour councillor, in line with the convention that this role is not held by the administration party.

Pictured: The new SDC Green group outside Ebley Mill on Thursday night.

The post New Green administration announced for Stroud District Council appeared first on Stroud District Green Party.

A former Chair of Stroud Labour Party has confirmed she will be voting Green in the General Election on Thursday and is urging all Green supporters to do the same, and not be swayed by Labour’s argument that they need the votes of Green supporters to be sure of replacing Conservative Siobhan Baillie as Stroud MP.

Cllr Kate Kay was once active in the Labour Party, including roles as branch Secretary and Chair of Stroud Constituency Labour Party. But she left Labour five years ago after losing confidence in its willingness to work collaboratively with others.

The death in December 2023 of her husband Norman Kay, a longstanding Green district councillor, propelled her into joining the Green Party so that she could continue his work as district councillor for Nailsworth ward. She subsequently won Norman’s seat in the May 2024 local elections and became part of the now-22-strong Green group that runs Stroud District Council.

Kate said this week: “I am asking residents to consider voting Green on Thursday. The climate emergency and the threat to the natural world will not wait for us to ‘grow the economy’ and it is only the Green Party that has understood the need for immediate action and has the policies that match the challenge.

“I joined the Green Party and stood in the District Council elections in May to ensure that there was a strong Green voice at a local level.

“After years of voting for the Labour Party, this time I will be voting for Green candidate Pete Kennedy as he has the experience, energy and courage to hold the new government’s feet to the fire and make sure it makes the environment and social justice top priorities.

“The Labour Party are almost guaranteed to win this election and my vote here will not prejudice this in any way. But my vote will be added to thousands of others raising their voices at a national level and saying there is an alternative.

“These moments do not come along very often. Time is running out for us, and I want to vote for what I believe in so please join me and vote for Pete Kennedy and the Green Party. We need Green MPs at a national level to be our voice.”

The post ‘Vote Green to hold the Starmer government’s feet to the fire’, former Stroud Labour Party chair urges residents appeared first on Stroud District Green Party.

The Green parliamentary candidate for Stroud, Pete Kennedy, took part in a debate on BBC Radio Gloucestershire last week along with candidates from Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

They all responded to questions sent in on a variety of subjects by members of the public. Click here to listen to the debate:

Here’s a summary of what Pete had to say.

The impact on businesses of the high cost of imported goods

Small and medium businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and our communities. The Greens will ensure they get the support they need to thrive.

Our unstable economy means we rely on imports of pretty much everything. Some products will still need to come from Europe but we should produce at home what we can.

The Green Party is focused on supporting local economies, including reducing energy bills. To address the cost of oil and gas, we will bring the Big 5 energy companies into public ownership and invest in renewable energy.

Ways to address the housing problem

We need rent controls and a ban on no-fault evictions so that people know how much their rent will be instead of facing yearly increases. The Green Party will build 150,000 new social homes every year under our Right Homes, Right Place, Right Price charter. Housing shouldn’t be left to the private sector for profit. Homes will have the right infrastructure and be built to passiv haus standards so that energy bills are low.

Locally, large sections of Stroud are in the AONB or on the flood plain so there are not many options for where housing can go. Stroud District Council is bound by national planning policy, so development can’t necessarily be spread over a wide area, but we will push to change that so that housing can be built in the right places.

Road capacity needs to be upgraded as part of this. This is not necessarily what you’d expect Greens to do but we have to make tough decisions rather than taking the Conservative line of ‘just don’t build here’. Stroud needs an MP who will work with the council to fix the motorway junction capacity issues.

The need for affordable activities for children

Greens are focused on families. The Green-led district council spent £500,000 on upgrading parks and play areas in Stroud area, and the Green Party’s manifesto pledges an extra £5billion for councils to spend on arts and culture, including libraries and museums. We will also increase out-of-school activities such as sports.

Health care

The NHS is on its knees after 14 years of Conservative privatisation and underfunding. Both the Conservatives and Labour propose real-term spending cuts in the NHS.

The Greens are the only party with a plan to reverse these cuts. The Greens would invest £1.5billion a year to fix issues with seeing GPs and enhanced screening to detect 75% of cancers at Stage 1 or 2.

To fund this we will raise £30billion per year from a wealth tax of 1% on people with more than £10million in assets and 2% on people with more than £1billion in assets. The people with the broadest shoulders will pay for the health support that everyone needs.

Some people’s wealth has been growing exponentially while most people have been struggling with a massive reduction in their living standards.

A lot of this wealth is in offshore accounts. The wealth is there – we just need the political courage to go and get it.

The climate crisis

The Green Party exists to solve the climate crisis. Our manifesto has solutions from roads to aviation, education, food and farming. It’s fundamentally about reducing our impact so we can have a long-term sustainable future and a healthy life. We’re the only party with this focus, and without it we cannot fix the problems.

The post Hear Stroud Green MP candidate Pete Kennedy taking part in pre-election radio debate appeared first on Stroud District Green Party.

The local Green parliamentary candidates have a busy couple of weeks coming up, with hustings events as well as media interviews and campaign work. The latest details are below, but do check back in case things change.

Wednesday June 19

(Other hustings that Chloe is taking part in are unfortunately not public).

Thursday June 20

Come along and chat to Pete in an informal setting. Please encourage friends and supporters to come along.

Friday June 21

Chloe and other Gloucestershire candidates interviewed on BBC Gloucestershire (live on website at 10am, clips on Points West)

Sunday June 23

Monday June 24

This is a ticketed event and all (free) tickets were sold out earlier this week. We’ve been advised that no-one will be allowed in without a ticket, but it might be worth checking the booking link or calling the pub on 01453 755600 to check whether any more have become available.

Wednesday June 26

Thursday June 27

Friday June 28

Chloe Turner and other Gloucestershire candidates live on BBC Radio Gloucestershire

Sunday June 30

Chloe and three other candidates from across the Bristol and Gloucestershire area, live on BBC Radio Bristol

Read our manifesto: https://greenparty.org.uk/about/our-manifesto/

To donate to our General Election crowdfunding campaign: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/stroudgreen2024

To offer your help as a volunteer: https://stroud.greenparty.org.uk/get-involved/

The post Meet your Green Candidates appeared first on Stroud District Green Party.

Sue’s move came less than a week after the Stroud District Council election results, which gave the Greens a record 22 seats, making the party the biggest group on the council and allowing them to form a minority administration.

Sue, a former nurse, who lives with her family on a farm near Stroud, explains why she changed political allegiances.

Q. How did you first become politically involved, and why the Conservative Party?

I’m one of those people who always voted the same way their parents voted, which in my case was Conservative.

When I gave up my nursing career about six years ago to look after my widowed mum, I got so caught up in caring for her that my own life was put on the back burner and I lost touch with who I really am and who I wanted to be.

More recently there was a void in my life. I had always been involved in community activities so when a Conservative contact suggested in 2020 that I should stand for the County Council, I saw it as a way to get more involved in my community.

I was never ‘political’ – I just wanted to make a difference. Unlike some county councillors, I’d never been on a parish or district council; I went straight to the county. Until I joined the Conservatives so that I could stand for the council, I’d never belonged to a party.

I thought that belonging to the biggest party would give me a stronger voice. And from what the Conservatives said, I thought they were going to be proactive about the environment.

Q. How did you realise you were in the wrong party? Was there a defining moment?

It was an evolution, a gradual realisation of where my true calling was as I became increasingly upset by Conservative policies. Today’s Conservative Party isn’t the same party that people like my parents voted for; there were lots of little things that were so wrong and that didn’t make sense.

Something has gone drastically wrong when even people with full-time jobs need to use food banks. I think some Conservatives don’t understand the real world, the level of poverty.

Then there was the Covid situation. People’s lives were turned upside down; some were not allowed to say goodbye to dying relations. People did what they were told by the government only to find out that the government was partying. Politicians’ morals should be whiter than white; if you’re in a position of power you should set an example.

Locally, one key issue was a planning application for sand and gravel extraction. I voted against it – as did some other Conservatives – as it would have a huge impact on local residents. We have to find more sustainable building methods. I know of someone who lives in a straw house, for example. I’m not suggesting we all build houses of straw, but we can’t keep ruining the environment by digging out gravel.

The applicants won on appeal, based on national planning policy, which over-rode local considerations, and that made me angry.

Another issue was changes to the benefit system. People who are not computer-savvy or who can’t read well now find it really difficult to get the information and help they need and are entitled to. The system is discriminatory against people who earn a lot one month but very little in other months; they can’t get help for the months they don’t earn anything.

Then there’s the underfunding of public transport. There are hardly any rural bus services, which makes it impossible for elderly people to go anywhere if they don’t own cars. And people who have bus passes can’t use them to get to college or work because you can’t use them before 9.30 in the morning. Again because of national policy.

Education and health underfunding is an issue too. I’m passionate about children’s education and wellbeing and recently became a governor for the Hospital Education management committee. As a county councillor I see how many children are struggling, particularly those with special educational needs. I appreciate that funding is limited but the systems that we rely on, like the NHS and county council, are under such strain.

Most recently, the Rwanda deportation plan. Everyone has a right not be persecuted, and all that tax-payers’ money is going to inflicting more misery on people risking their lives to come here for whatever reason.

And now the idea of national service for 18-year-olds. This is not the answer. The money spent on the scheme could be used much more usefully in other ways.

Q. Did the ‘whip’ system make it difficult for you as a Conservative wanting to do the right thing for your residents?

All the Conservative councillors I know just want to work hard for their communities. On committees, I have always voted for what I thought was best for my community. That often-meant voting with the Greens, but on a motion about striking, for example, I voted with the Conservatives, feeling that a minimum service level should be maintained through strikes.

But at full council we were told ‘we’re voting this way or that way’ on motions and this was a problem for me when we were voting on a motion associated with trail hunting on county-owned farms. My husband and I have never allowed hunting on our farm and we never will. I told the Conservative group that I would abstain, rather than be forced to vote for hunting.

Q. Did you feel able to talk through your concerns with your local party?

I didn’t talk to anyone from the Conservative group. Partly because I wanted to process on my own the way I was feeling, but partly because I’d got from the Green group the answers I was looking for. When I met the leader of the Conservative group to hand in my resignation he was understanding; he said he wished I’d talked to him before resigning. But if I had it wouldn’t have made any difference.

Had my party colleagues talked to me about my voting behaviour they would have known the way I was leaning. Councillors from other parties certainly did.

Q. Why move to the Greens? It seems like a big shift from the political right to the left.

A lot of people have asked why I joined the Conservatives in the first place; they thought I was always really a Green at heart. I was always passionate about the environment, having had an idyllic childhood in rural Gloucestershire. Being outdoors in nature all the time was a gentle way of life. It meant I felt in touch with the seasons and it made me very aware as an adult of the environmental crisis and the effects of climate change.

There was no single Green policy that influenced my decision. I looked carefully at all their policies and at the manifesto and it just all made sense. If the Greens were in power we would have a great public transport system, apart from anything else.

One thing I love about the Greens is that their councillors are never whipped; they are allowed to make decisions on what they think is right, and usually they reach consensus.

My husband Martin, a farmer, had changed his farming practices; he’d stopped ploughing and was doing a kind of no-dig Claydon system instead. And started planting hedgerows to help create a green corridor from Bisley village, and planted a wildflower meadow. We must be doing something right as the soil is so much more productive and we have more wildlife than ever before.

I met people like Lesley Greene (former Bisley district councillor and a current parish councillor), and Martin Brown (Green district councillor for Bisley) who are amazing people. The first time I voted Green was for Martin to be re-elected to Bisley.

Q. But for a long time you had certain misconceptions about the Green Party, didn’t you?

Yes, I naively believed the misconception that the Greens were trendy, anti-establishment activists, middle-class people who hypocritically bought organic vegetables from Waitrose then took them home in a four-wheel drive car.

That perception came out of my ignorance and lack of understanding, and I didn’t dig any deeper. But over the last three years it evolved. When I actually met Green councillors and talked to them – and, more important, was prepared to listen to them – it changed my whole understanding of what the Greens are about.

Q. You thought Greens were ‘tree huggers’?

Yes, I suppose I did, but I hug trees too, so that was OK! I love to go and sit in the woods and contemplate, clear my head and ground myself.

Q. Are you glad you joined the Greens?

I did a lot of soul-searching over the past year or so. It was almost like being two people: a Tory and what I truly am. Though I have evolved, I have also gone back to the real me. I feel so much happier in myself, I don’t have that inner conflict anymore.

I switched because it was the right thing to do. That won’t stop me from working hard, from representing my residents, I will continue to do all of that. When I die I want people to remember me as a gentle person who was community spirited and wanted to make a positive difference.

I have felt really welcomed into the party and I feel like part of a team at GCC, part of a family who do what’s best for their areas. They’re very supportive.

But I feel I need to prove my worth to other Greens, that I’m genuine, and it will take time to gain their trust. People who know me already know I’m a genuine person, but people who don’t know me might be sceptical.

Q. What differences have you seen in the working style of Conservative and Green councillors?

The GCC green group have catch-up meetings every Friday. They’re very proactive; we’re going to visit a farm next week, for example. They’re curious and interested; they investigate and question everything. They go out and find out what’s going on in their communities, find out how things work and exchange ideas.

For example, Cate Cody [Green county councillor for Tewkesbury and leader of the GCC Green group] told me about a scheme where residents can find out about nature and folklore in her area, to get children immersed in nature, and I thought we could do something like that in my division. According to a 2016 survey, 75% of children in the UK are getting less time outside than prison inmates. And they’re losing the ability to communicate with each other. I find that really troubling. I’d love to help children get out and understand the environment better, and our effect on it.

The Conservative group is nowhere near as cohesive. We had a team day once a year but otherwise I didn’t see them from one meeting to the next. There wasn’t the same team spirit.

Q. Is there anything the Greens do particularly well, that Conservatives might benefit from learning from?

When I was campaigning for the Tories, I was envious of the Greens. Their campaign was really slick. Their postcards, for example, showing local nature scenes and with handwriting-style font on the back, which said on the tin exactly what the Greens were about.

I didn’t enjoy canvassing for the Conservatives – I didn’t feel comfortable about having to answer questions about their policies – but I’m going canvassing soon with Chloe [Chloe Turner, Green County councillor and parliamentary candidate for North Cotswolds] and I’m looking forward to it.

Q. Your defection came less than a week after the Stroud District Council elections, which saw the Conservatives lose many of their seats and the Greens become the biggest party on the council. Was the timing deliberate?

Not at all. I originally intended to resign before the SDC elections, but then I felt it would distract from the elections. Then I was going to wait a couple more months so that people didn’t think it was a knee-jerk reaction to the Conservatives doing so badly in the local elections. But in the end the inner conflict was making me ill.

Had I resigned my seat there would have been a by-election, which costs a lot of money, and a Green would very probably have won the seat. It would have simply highlighted publicly the reduction in Conservative support, and I didn’t want that.

I felt I needed to resign so that I could get on with being the person I really am. The timing probably wasn’t ideal, but I felt I couldn’t wait any longer.

Q. What was the reaction from the Conservative group and from residents?

The first full council meeting after I resigned was difficult. Some of the Conservative councillors wouldn’t speak to me – or even look at me.

But I have been re-elected as vice-chair of the council, so there are plenty of Conservatives who still support me.

I had emails from residents saying, ‘good for you; that was brave’. But I had one really vile email from a resident who called me a traitor. I offered to meet him face to face to explain why I did what I did – I’m willing to meet with any Conservatives who were unhappy with my decision – but he refused to meet me. I guess that says more about him than about me.

I totally understand that some Conservative voters are angry; they feel they voted me in as a Conservative and therefore I should have stayed a Conservative. But others have said they understand why I did what I did, that the system is broken.

On the whole, people seem to think I made the right choice; it was certainly the right choice for me.

Q. What do you say to people who accuse you of switching sides to cling on to power?

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown [current Tory MP for The Cotswolds] accused me on TV of being self-interested. But I have no guarantee of retaining my seat at the next election, or even of being selected by the Greens to run again. Where is the self-interest? Where’s the personal gain?

If I had wanted to hang on to ‘power’, I would have kept my head down and stayed as a Conservative until next May or become an Independent for the last year of my term.

Q. What did your family think of your switch to the Greens?

My husband Martin wasn’t surprised at all. He has voted for me as a Conservative and will vote for me as a Green. He’s not very political. He thinks that Labour and the Conservative party are ‘as bad as each other’.

My son Timothy actually stood as a Conservative in the SDC elections, for the Painswick ward now occupied by three Greens. We brought him up to be independent in his thinking so I would never tell him what he should believe politically. But I’m hoping to persuade him to join the Green Party too; he’s non-committal but I’m working on him!

Q. Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsey was on BBC Radio Gloucestershire, talking about you, and he invited other disillusioned Tory councillors to join the Greens. Do you know any other Tories who might be tempted?

I don’t know of any but, like me, they might keep their feelings close to their chests. But what I did might give other people courage to do the same. If anyone wants to talk to me discreetly, my door is always open.

The post Tory councillor who defected to the Green Party explains why she switched appeared first on Stroud District Green Party.

Three Greens – Cllr Pete Kennedy in Stroud, Cllr Chloe Turner in North Cotswolds and Cllr Bob Eastoe in South Cotswolds – will be standing in the General Election on July 4 in constituencies that are wholly or partly within Stroud District.

Pete Kennedy is the parliamentary candidate for Stroud constituency. A qualified lawyer, he works as an adviser to the Green peers in the House of Lords and was elected earlier this month as a district councillor for Painswick & Upton. Pete was also appointed Deputy Leader of Stroud District Council at the council’s AGM on May 23.

Pete joined the Green Party in 2011, drawn to the Party’s policies for a sustainable and fair society.

He has been involved in a number of campaigns: opposing austerity cuts to public services, fighting plans for fracking, and protecting pubs as community assets. Pete is passionate about the positive change that Green policies will have on everyone’s lives. 

Pete has a degree in Economics and Politics, and further qualified as a barrister in 2021.

More details about Pete here:

Cllr Chloe Turner is the parliamentary candidate for the new North Cotswolds constituency.

Cllr Turner (pictured with Pete Kennedy) represents Minchinhampton on both Stroud District Council and Gloucestershire County Council.

Chloe said: “The widespread disenchantment with the Tory government among many moderate Tory voters means that the Conservatives cannot be complacent about winning the North Cotswolds seat.

“As MP, I will be a voice for nature and a champion for local issues, including tackling the decline in rural public services and the cost-of-living pressures facing so many residents.”

“Importantly, as a Green I do not have to follow a party whip so will be free to represent the concerns of residents. I will be an independent, principled MP who will work collaboratively with others, who will never be afraid to offer constructive scrutiny and to hold those in government to account.

“This year, there is a real opportunity for genuine change in the Cotswolds, for the first time in decades. It’s an exciting chance to restore trust in politics and I’m ready to be at the heart of it.”

A qualified chartered accountant by background, though politics is now her full-time work, Chloe is involved in numerous local groups and campaigns.

More details about Chloe here:

And Bob Eastoe is standing for South Cotswolds, which includes a small part of Stroud District: Kingswood, near Wotton-under-Edge, and surrounding villages.

Bob has recently retired as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of a major manufacturer.

He now wants to use his time and expertise supporting those less fortunate than himself and serving his community.

Bob is a volunteer driver for Cotswold Friends and is a town councillor in Moreton-on-Marsh.

If elected, among other things he would work to ensure that development takes into account the importance of South Cotswolds as being in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and must not degrade its surroundings.

More details about Bob here:

The post The Stroud Greens standing in the General Election appeared first on Stroud District Green Party.

A Conservative councillor on Gloucestershire County Council has defected to the Green Party.

Cllr Sue Williams, who has represented Bisley and Painswick division since 2021, joined the Green group at Shire Hall on Friday (May 10). Her defection risks the balance of power for the Conservative administration by reducing their number from 27 to 26 and therefore bringing them under the threshold required for a majority.  

Cllr Williams said her decision had been prompted by having lost faith in the Conservative Party nationally. “Over the past months I have grown increasingly disillusioned and angry and I cannot – morally or ethically – ignore my conflicting views as an individual and as a Conservative Party member.

“I can no longer defend the Party’s stance on many issues and policies, including the treatment of asylum seekers fearing deportation to Rwanda, and the way the benefits system has been made so very difficult for those in need to navigate.”

Cllr Williams (pictured centre with Green councillors Cate Cody and Beki Hoyland) added that she had not taken lightly the decision to resign as a Conservative Councillor, and that she had been “honoured and proud” to represent Gloucestershire as vice-chair of the council.

“I appreciate that my decision may be a disappointment to those who continue to support the Conservative Party,” she added. “I wish to reassure all residents within my division that I will continue to work hard for the communities I represent.”

She explained why she chose the Green Party. “I want to represent a party that people can trust and I believe that the Greens are a party of integrity. Having studied the Green Party’s priorities, policies and local manifesto – and having asked many questions – I feel very aligned with their policies and vision for the future.

“Green Party councillors are professional, effective and committed to supporting those in need and challenging social injustice. They are environmentally driven, not just in terms of biodiversity, the climate crisis and sustainability, but also in terms of our communities, our shared spaces and developing vibrant economies.”

Cllr Williams’s defection increases the Green group to five. The existing Greens are Cllr Cate Cody (Tewkesbury), Cllr Beki Hoyland (Forest of Dean: Blakeney and Bream), Cllr Chris McFarling (Forest of Dean: Sedbury) and Cllr Chloe Turner (Minchinhampton).

Cllr Cate Cody, Leader of the GCC Green group, said: “All of us have worked with Sue on various committees and we know her to be a councillor who is gentle, compassionate and conscientious. We appreciate her diligence and admire her determination to do the right thing for her constituents, regardless of party politics. We are very happy to welcome her to the Green group.”

Cllr Cody added: “Following this month’s local elections, the sitting Green in Bisley retained his seat with more votes than the other three candidates combined, while voters in Painswick & Upton elected three Greens, all with large majorities – two of whom replaced Conservatives.”

Cllr Chloe Turner, Green county councillor for Minchinhampton, who also serves on Stroud District Council alongside the Green councillors for Bisley and Painswick & Upton, said: “I’m sure this will have been a difficult decision for Sue, and I respect her greatly for taking a principled stand. I’m delighted to have a fellow Green county councillor in the Stroud area now, and I look forward to working together, especially on our shared aspirations for nature recovery and thriving rural communities.”

Cllr Williams is the second councillor to switch to the Greens in Gloucestershire this year. Cllr Helen Fenton, originally elected to Stroud District Council as a Labour councillor, joined the Green group in February after a spell as an Independent.

The post Gloucestershire Conservative councillor defects to Green Party appeared first on Stroud District Green Party.

The Greens are delighted to have become the biggest party on Stroud District Council, with a record number of councillors. 

The party now has 22 seats on Stroud District Council (up from 14), winning nine new seats and holding 13 existing seats.

Cllr Catherine Braun, who held her seat for the in Wotton-under-Edge Ward and remains Leader of Stroud District Council until the Council’s Annual General Meeting on May 23, said: “Greens are on the up with a wave of support nationwide, and we’re delighted with the success of Thursday’s vote, which makes us one of the largest Green groups in the country. 

“These fantastic results show that people here in Stroud District are putting their trust in the Green Party – they know we do politics differently and that we have a vision of positive change for communities, our shared environment, and the local economy.

“Congratulations to our successful candidates – I know they will give their all to address the issues that matter most to residents.

“Our success is testament to the hard work of our candidates and support teams, who knocked on hundreds of doors and delivered thousands of leaflets during the election campaign. 

“It also reflects the gains for the Green Party across the country, with historic results like Greens becoming the biggest party in Hastings and Bristol as well as Stroud district. 

“The unpopularity of the Conservative Government and the desire of many people for an alternative to the main parties has translated into votes at the ballot box for the Greens.

“We’ll be looking to work collaboratively with other parties to achieve a fairer, greener district. We will now be discussing with other parties how this might look, and more details will be available before the Council meeting on May 23, when the new council leadership team will be elected.

“We will work to accomplish our manifesto aims of warm and affordable homes; a clean, green district; thriving market towns and villages; public services that work; and restoring trust in politics.”

Cllr Beki Aldam, Deputy Leader of the Green group, who held her seat in Thrupp by a large margin, said: “Thank you to every voter and campaigner who helped get Greens elected here. We offer a hopeful and positive vision for supporting people through the cost-of-living crisis, improving community wellbeing, promoting our local economy, and action on climate and nature. We will now start to develop and implement that vision through practical policies that will make a real difference for the residents and businesses of Stroud District.”

Kate Kay, elected in Nailsworth to fill the vacancy created by the death of her husband, Norman Kay, said: “I’m so thrilled to have been selected by the voters of Nailsworth to join the Green team. I look forward to working tirelessly for fairer, greener communities across Stroud District.”

Overall SDC results

Greens 22 (up from 14)

Labour 20 (up from 4)

Conservatives 7 (down from 19)

Liberal Democrats 2 (down from 3)

(Of the 22 Greens, 11 are women and 11 men.)

Green holds and gains

Amberley & Woodchester: Sarah Canning GAIN

Bisley: Martin Brown HOLD

Chalford: James Boyle, Helen Fenton, Tricia Watson HOLD

Coaley & Uley: Martin Pearcy HOLD

Minchinhampton: Gill Thomas GAIN, Chloe Turner HOLD

Nailsworth: Kate Kay GAIN

Painswick & Upton: Pete Kennedy GAIN, Gary Luff HOLD, Matt Sergeant GAIN

Randwick, Whiteshill & Ruscombe: Jonathan Edmunds HOLD

Stonehouse: Carol Kambites GAIN

Stroud Slade: Natalie Rothwell-Warn GAIN

Stroud Trinity: Lucas Schoemaker HOLD

Stroud Valley: Martin Baxendale HOLD

The Stanleys: Marisa Godfrey GAIN, Steve Hynd HOLD

Thrupp: Beki Aldam HOLD

Wotton: Catherine Braun HOLD, Gareth Kitchen GAIN

The post Stroud District Council elections: Greens react to becoming biggest party appeared first on Stroud District Green Party.