Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay looks set to stand for a Suffolk seat in the next general election in an attempt to win a place in the House of Commons.
Mr Ramsay, a former Norwich City Councillor, aims to stand for the Bury St Edmunds seat if the election is fought on the current boundaries or for the new North Suffolk seat if the changes proposed during the summer are implemented in time.
He is hoping to build on his party's success in parts of Mid Suffolk, East Suffolk and West Suffolk elections in his Westminster bid.
Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay has been selected to be the Party’s parliamentary candidate in North Suffolk. He was elected to the leadership earlier this year alongside Carla Denyer.
Mr Ramsay said: "'The Blue Wall’ of Conservative power in the countryside is not as strong as Conservative politicians would have us believe"
He said the Greens were already the main opposition on Suffolk County Council and Mid Suffolk. "Now we aim to replace the blue wall with something much more effective – like a Green hedge.”
Mr Ramsay is visiting Cotton, near Stowmarket on Friday to help local members and villagers plant a hedge at the village hall.
He will also visit the nearby village of Bacton to hear about residents’ concerns there. New housing has been approved that will nearly double the size of the village without apparent regard for local needs and without any commitment to improving infrastructure such as bus transport.
He said: “This Government has taken people in the countryside for granted. As a result of this, the blue wall is crumbling, as we’ve seen from recent by-election wins by the Greens, including one at Aldeburgh and Leiston.
"I put myself forward for this seat since this part of Suffolk is the hottest Green spot in the Eastern region and one of our best chances in the country for winning a seat at the next General Election."
Green Suffolk County councillor for the area, Andrew Stringer, said: “This area has a strong sense of identity and a firmly independent spirit. It’s also a beautiful part of the country.
"But there is a growing feeling that local people are not being listened to and the needs of local village and town economies not met. The Green Party has long stood for the idea that local needs need to be met locally, so I’m really pleased and proud that our co-leader has been selected as our MP candidate here.”
In 2019 The Green Party came third in Bury St Edmunds with nearly 16% of the vote - finishing behind Conservative Jo Churchill and Labour. The Liberal Democrats stood aside in favour of the Greens.
The Boundary Commission for England has proposed a shake-up of seats in the county that would lead to the creation of geographically huge constituency, North Suffolk, stretching from Bungay in the east to Pakenham and Troston in west - but even if it is approved it will not come into effect until summer 2023 at the earliest and there could be changes before then.
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