Green Party

All five declared candidates in the Norwich South General Election race have come together on a pledge to fight a clean campaign.

Candidates taking the pledge commit to refrain from personal attacks, not to mislead the public about who is likely to win and to make only honest and reasonable promises. It is designed to help restore trust in politicians and has been agreed after negotiation between candidates. The wording is based on a pledge that the Green Party initiated in the Norwich North by-election last year, which achieved support from the Labour, Conservative and UKIP candidates. The LibDem candidate did not sign it.

This time all five declared candidates have signed: Adrian Ramsay (Green), Charles Clarke (Labour), Antony Little (Conservative), Simon Wright (LibDem) and Steve Emmens (UKIP).

Adrian Ramsay, Green Party General Election candidate for the Norwich South constituency, said:

"It’s very encouraging that all the Norwich South candidates have decided to sign up to this pledge. The issue now is whether parties stick to it. Voters will judge whether or not they do.

“I have always believed in campaigning in a positive and informative way, based on my record and policies. I hope we can have a mature and respectful political debate in what is likely to be a close contest for the Norwich South seat at this General Election.

"Clean election campaigning is an important part of cleaning up politics, but if elected as MP I also pledge not to abuse the expenses system, to retain my home in Norwich, to hold regular surgeries for residents to raise issues with me and to respond promptly to communications from residents.”

The Clean Campaign Pledge says:

We, the undersigned, pledge in the forthcoming General Election campaign:

• To show by our actions that politics need not be a dirty game, but can be a clean and positive activity, engaged in genuinely for the good of all.
• To tell the truth about what we stand for and have achieved, and about what others stand for and have achieved.
• To refrain from personal attacks.
• Not to mislead the public about who is doing well and about who is likely to win in this election.
• To make only honest and reasonable promises.
• To fight a clean, positive and honest campaign around the issues that concerns the people of Norwich South.
• To be honest about public spending, and not to scaremonger in ways that may frighten the most vulnerable members of our society, such as children and elderly people.
• To take money only from organisations and individuals whose motives in giving us money we do not have reason to suspect and who do not ask for influence over party policy in return.
• And to sign up to a transparency pledge on MPs’ expenses.

We encourage voters:

• To expect from us decent and honest behaviour, as candidates and as their elected representatives.
• To ask Parties operating in this election whether they have signed up to the Pledge or not, and, if not, to encourage them to do so.
• And to help us enforce this Pledge, by reporting truthfully to us and to the media any apparent breaches of it.

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