Press release from Stroud District Green Party 26/5/14
The Greens are a strong and growing presence, in Stroud, the South West, and the European Union. Last week, local Green Caroline Molloy gained Central ward. Greens held Randwick, Whiteshill and Ruscombe with new candidate Jonathan Edmunds. In Coaley and Uley, Jim Dewey came just 27 votes short of victory. In the district, the Green vote share was 18.5% of the total votes which made us winners in two seats and second in five.
Jim Dewey, Stroud Green Party candidate in Uley and Coaley said: “Last Thursdays elections was a great day for the Green Party with Molly Scott Cato from Stroud being elected the 1st Green MEP for the South West Region In my own ward of Coaley and Uley, I narrowly missed election to Stroud District Council by 28 votes and would like to thank everyone who voted for me. I am delighted to be on the Uley Parish Council and honoured to be serving my local community alongside my other Councillors.”
Caroline Molloy said: “I am honoured to be elected as the councillor for Stroud Central, and proud to be part of a party that stands for compassion and solidarity. I joined the Greens because they were standing out strongly against austerity and privatisation, and defending people and the planet against corporate interests. In this election the Greens are the only mainstream party who have spoken up clearly and bravely against austerity and divisive scapegoating. I look forward to working with an excellent Green group in Stroud and getting the message out to people that Greens are there for them and that there is a credible, progressive alternative.”
In the South West European elections, Greens took 11.2% of the vote, enough to send Stroud’s Molly Scot Cato to join the European Green group – the fourth largest party in the European parliament. Molly Scott Cato is the South West’s first Green MEP.
Molly Scott Cato said: “The Greens are the only party with a clear and positive message on EU reform, which I think was attractive to voters and translated into the result we see today. Our ‘people before profit’ policies have really resonated with voters who have been looking for a viable, alternative party which truly represents their values.”