Green Party

Green Councillor Adrian Ramsay has today announced that he is to stand for election as Deputy Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales.
 
Adrian Ramsay is the first Green to gain the position of Leader of the Opposition on a local council. The Green Party became the second party in Norwich at the local elections in May.
 
In those May 2008 local elections, the Green Party finished in first place across the Norwich South General Election constituency - three thousand votes ahead of Labour.

Adrian will be mounting a strong challenge to win Charles Clarke's seat at the next General Election. Norwich South is one of three target Westminster constituencies for the Green Party - alongside Brighton Pavilion (where Caroline Lucas is standing) and Lewisham Deptford (where Darren Johnson is the candidate).
 
Adrian Ramsay commented: "Only the Green Party combines a clear vision of environmental sustainability with a clear commitment to social justice at home and abroad - such as our opposition to the privatisation of council housing and our proposals for making Fair Trade the norm.
 
"We need long-term, positive solutions to the rising cost of living that reduce our society's dependence on oil. This must include free insulation schemes to tackle fuel poverty, more reliable and cheaper public transport and a low-carbon, localised economy.
 
"We need Greens elected to all levels of Government to champion these policies and put them into practice. This must be the focus of the party and the new leadership team."
 
Since joining the Green Party ten years ago, Adrian's main focus has been as a grassroots campaigner. He has helped develop Norwich Green Party from a dormant local party then to having the largest group of Green Councillors in the country today. Adrian now hopes to bring his skills and experience to the national level to help the party to gain more council seats and make the breakthrough into Westminster.
 
Peter Cranie, a Green Party member in Liverpool and the Lead European Election Candidate for the North West of England, is Campaign Chair for Adrian Ramsay.

Peter said: "In Norwich Adrian has built up a large and effective local party and has inspired a broad cross-section of Norwich residents to put their trust in the Green Party.

"We need a leadership team that will help create an organised and effective national party and help deliver more Green Councillors to implement more Green policies across the country.

"We need a leadership team with a track record of delivery. For that reason I'm going to be campaigning to elect Adrian as our first ever Deputy Leader."
 
Nominations for the Green Party leadership positions opened on 1st July and close on 31st July. Details of all the candidates will be available from 31st July from the Green Party Press Office.
 
Green Party members will receive ballot papers for the elections early next month. Hustings will take place and the results will be announced at Green Party conference, taking place from Friday 5th to Monday 8th September in London.