Newham Greens announce a full-slate of candidates, with aims to elect the first opposition councillors since 2006 and to beat the Conservatives

This slate represents the party’s most diverse set of candidates ever

Newham Green Party has today announced it will be fielding a full slate of candidates in the 2022 Local Elections, a total of 66 candidates across all 24 wards of Newham, and a candidate for Mayor of Newham. The party aims to elect the first opposition councillors in Newham since 2006, in Stratford Olympic Park and Beckton wards, and to beat the Conservatives to become Newham’s second party.

In 2018, the Newham Green Party stood just 11 candidates, making this a six-fold increase in the number of candidates. 2018 itself was a six-fold increase on 2014, when the party stood just two candidates. In 2018, the party won more votes per candidate standing than any other party except Labour[1]. Standing 66 candidates places the party in a strong position to beat the Conservatives across Newham and to firmly define itself as Newham’s second party. No other currently active national party has ever succeeded in fielding a full slate of candidates in Newham, besides Labour and the Conservatives.

Nate Higgins, co-chair of the Newham Green Party, who is standing in Stratford Olympic Park said: “When I set out over a year ago to recruit the widest and most diverse slate of candidates the Newham Green Party has ever fielded, I never even dreamed we would be this successful. In one of the most diverse and young London Boroughs, I am proud we have a slate of candidates who are more like the people we wish to represent than ever before, and who share their experiences. With 66 candidates in this election, we are now in a fantastic position to beat the Conservatives across Newham for the first time ever, and to elect some opposition councillors. I know through my year-round hard work in my home ward of Stratford Olympic Park how excited people are about having the chance to vote Green for the first time, and I know we can win.”

This slate of candidates represents the party’s most diverse ever, with a wide range of ethnic minority, women, young, working class, and LGBTIQA+ candidates. This includes Nate Higgins and Danny Keeling in Stratford Olympic Park; Solveig Bourgeon, Karen Webb Green, and Alison McLucas in Beckton; Jacintha Christopher in Plaistow West & Canning Town East; and Sean Labode in Custom House. Rob Callender is standing to be the first Green Mayor of Newham. All of these candidates represent at least one of these diversities, and almost every ward has at least one woman or non-binary candidate standing.

Danny Keeling, co-chair of the Newham Green Party and candidate in Stratford Olympic Park said “When the Conservative government is failing to protect people from its self-imposed cost of living crisis, pushing some of the most vulnerable people yet further into poverty, and the Labour Party has very few ideas on what to do differently, the Green Party stands ready to give Newham voters the chance to use all of their votes on a Green Party candidate for the first time ever. Greens will not let the people of Newham down like Labour and the Conservatives consistently have.”

ENDS. 

Notes

1. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kuZw6W7drNL3wlqiqhVrCpcWPdSNYYJKERgbgBFwx98/edit?usp=sharing

Please note, Nate Higgins’ pronouns are he/him and Danny Keeling’s pronouns are they/them. 

The full list of candidates is below. Please note these are yet to be confirmed by the London Borough of Newham, which will happen this week.