One minute pitches from each of the Green London Mayor candidates

At the end of Saturday;s Hustings at Birkbeck College, each of the contenders for the Green Party's nomination for the London Mayor Election 2016 were able to sum up their pitch in one minute.

Green Party Mayoral candidates on Communication and Credibility

At yesterday's hustings Green Party candidates for the party's London Mayor nomination were asked how they would improve the Green Party's credibility and communication. They had just one minute to answer.

Greens start process to choose London Mayoral candidate with hustings on Saturday

Six candidates will compete to be the Green Party’s London Mayoral candidate 

In what the Green Party is describing as its “most competitive and high profile contest to date”, London Councillors Sian Berry and Caroline Russell, Party Spokespeople Tom Chance, Benali Hamdache, and Jonathan Bartley, and mentor and activist Rashid Nix, will now compete in a series of internal hustings before voting closes on 30^th August.

The party is expected to announce the winner of the contest in the first week of September.
Caroline Allen, Co-Chair of the London Green Party, said:

“The breadth of experience, skills, and knowledge amongst our six candidates is a testament to just how far the Green Party has come in London and shows that we are going to be a force to be reckoned with come next May, no matter who is our candidate. It’s my pleasure to wish each of our candidates good luck in what I know will be high quality and close-fought contest.

“Our priority is that we use the coming weeks to throw open our doors to the public and debate and discuss the issues affecting London and what it is we are going to do about them. With the right Mayor and Assembly in place, London doesn’t have to continue being the play-thing of rich investors and housing speculators. We invite everyone to get involved with our campaigns. Together, we can take back London for Londoners.”

Baroness Jenny Jones AM and Darren Johnson AM, the Green Party’s two current members of the London Assembly, have both already declared their intention not to stand either for Mayor or for re-nomination as Assembly Members. 

Next week, On Thursday 16th July at 7.30pm, Brent Central Constituency Labour Party will be meeting 'on the nomination/s' for  Labour Party Leader and Deputy Leader. Registration starts at 7.15pm at Neasden Methodist Church and people who arrive after the debate 'on the merits of each candidate will NOT be entitled to vote.' Attendees are asked to bring their Labour Party membership card, Photo ID card and proof of address.

Ramadan message from the Green Party

With Ramadan starting today the Green Party would like to wish Britain's Muslim Community Ramadan Kareem. With the long hot days ahead of us we’re keenly aware this year will be a harder Ramadan than years previous and we wish every Muslim fasting good health and a rewarding and spiritual month.

At this time we firstly want to celebrate the contribution that the Muslim community make to Britain. Ramadan is a time of contemplating and recognising the privilege many of us have in life, whilst remembering and empathising with those who have less. These are values I think every Green Party member can keenly associate with.

Equally over this Ramadan we are minded to think about the countless communities that face unrest and violence for the coming month. Ramadan should be a time of quiet spiritual contemplation but too many communities in Syria, Yemen and Nigeria face violence and unrest. Real international action is needed to build lasting peace, and we hope this month can catalyse a change. As an international movement of Green Parties we will continue to strive for real meaningful diplomacy and peacebuilding.

Ramadan Kareem to all those fasting this month

Benali Hamdache

Green Party Equalities Spokesperson

Newly selected Green candidate for Hampstead and Kilburn pledges support for railway renationalisation

Camden and Brent Green Parties today announced that international security expert Dr Rebecca Johnson has been selected to stand as the Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency.

Rebecca with Shahrar Ali, Green Party deputy leader

Rebecca is co-chair of Compass Greens, and Vice President of CND. With a PhD from the University of London (LSE), she is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and works on international security with the UN. She used to live in Kilburn, and now lives in Hackney, but has continued to cycle to Hampstead Heath, where she loves to walk and swim.

Rebecca said:

I got to know this constituency when I volunteered for Glenda Jackson's campaign in 1992. I've been talking to local people in recent weeks, and have heard them highlight the need for more affordable housing, finding environmentally sustainable alternatives to the dam nonsense that will protect both Hampstead Heath and homes from flooding, and defending local businesses and homes against the folly of HS2, while supporting the renationalisation of our rail services, on which so many of us depend.

In standing for the Greens, I will work for these goals and a raft of other policies to protect our environment and secure fair distribution of resources to help all of London's communities, especially our most disadvantaged citizens.

Natalie Bennett, Green Party Leader and candidate for the neighbouring Holborn and St Pancras constituency said:

Throughout Camden voters are looking for a credible alternative to the three business-as-usual parties, and Rebecca will be a brilliant new Green voice for Hampstead and Kilburn.  With record results across Camden and Brent in the local elections this year, and Rebecca as our candidate, we're confident that we will inspire voters from across Hampstead and Kilburn that we have the policies people need.

Three candidates contested the selection and the results were declared to local Green Party members on Sunday. Greens select candidates under the single transferrable vote system, and Rebecca secured 36% of votes in the first round, equal with Brent Green Party’s Scott Bartle and ahead of Islington Green Party member Benali Hamdache. She was declared the winner with 63% of the total after second preferences were reallocated.

The process of selection of Green party candidates for Brent Central, Brent North, Harrow East and Harrow West began this weekend and the result will be known in October.