The Green Party in Dorset has announced its first ever full slate of prospective MPs for the county. Candidates have now been selected to contest every seat, including four constituencies where the Party has never stood before, reflecting its dramatic trebling in size – the ‘Green Surge’ – over the past year.
Elections Coordinator and newly-selected candidate for Poole, Adrian Oliver, pointed out that it was 32 years since the Greens – then known as the Ecology Party – stood a candidate in Bournemouth East. 2015’s prospect for the seat, Alasdair Keddie, commented “It’s a hugely exciting time for me, and for the Green Party. With the national and local Green surges, it’s heartening to see our support increasing from day to day. I think the upcoming election is going to redefine politics in the UK. With a departure from the monolithic, two-party system, there is an opportunity for real change. I think the Green Party is in its ascendancy and it will play an important role in UK politics going forward.”
Elizabeth McManus is the first Green candidate for Bournemouth West. The marketing professional said “Having lived in the local area all my life, I am passionate about seeing Bournemouth progress in the right direction. I would like to see the more vulnerable people in our society listened to and supported and many more Green initiatives put in place to make Bournemouth not only the UK’s best beach resort, but also its premier green holiday destination.”
Mother of four, Hypnotherapist and part-time student of Psychology Shona Dunn is standing in Christchurch. Shona feels that her “life-experience” combined with her “natural ability to listen and empathise,” are her strongest attributes. She believes that these qualities will enable her to “passionately support and represent all constituents, especially those who currently feel unrepresented”. An enthusiastic advocate of the Green Party’s national policies, Shona says “There’s something in there for everyone – unless you’re the one per cent!”
Richard Barrington, Green candidate for North Dorset, was “delighted to have been elected. It’s a really exciting time in British politics to represent a party that has a positive message for people and for the planet. Profit is only of any use if it serves the greater good and underpins a fairer and more just society.”
Mark Chivers, standing for Mid Dorset and North Poole, is a qualified engineer who has spent the majority of his career to date in financial services. Mark stressed the importance of addressing climate change, saying it was “a very real threat for our children and grandchildren that dramatically surpasses any short-term debt crisis.” He added, “Although our current actions are insufficient, the solutions are not only available but actually offer a positive vision for the future, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and a genuinely sustainable economy.”
Richard Turner
