10 September 2010
The Green Party has won an extra seat on Norwich City Council, maintaining the progress it has made at every local election since 2002.
Norwich now has the highest number of Green councillors of any UK council ever.
Yesterday’s election gain came in Thorpe Hamlet ward, at the expense of the Lib-Dems. The Greens also saw a substantial increase in their vote in Lakenham ward.
Councillor Adrian Ramsay, deputy leader of the Green Party, will be taking news of the positive result to the party conference which begins in Birmingham today (Friday). He said:
“I am delighted that the Green Party has once again moved forward in Norwich. We have successfully defended all our seats that were up for election and made a fantastic gain in Thorpe Hamlet. It is clear that lots of former Lib-Dem supporters have voted Green this time. They voted for hard working local councillors and a constructive opposition on the city council.”
Councillor Claire Stephenson, who is expected to resume her role as leader of the Green group now that she has been re-elected in Nelson ward, said:
“We will continue to work to make the council more open and transparent in what it does. We also want to make sure the council does all it can to promote local businesses. We will continue to challenge the Labour group and try to bring Green Party principles to bear in council decision-making.”
Yesterday’s election also handed an extra seat to Labour, won from the Conservatives.
There’s been a double celebration in Town Close ward which was held for the Green Party by new councillor Ash Haynes on her 20th birthday. Ash is studying international development at the University of East Anglia and is a key organiser in Norwich Green Party.
