Early general election - Greens say bring it on!
2 October 2007
SPECULATION that there will be an early general election has placed the Green Party on high alert in Brighton and Hove.
Following the party’s success in the May local elections, when it secured 12 seats on the city council, Greens moved quickly to select its parliamentary candidates
for the city’s three constituencies.
Caroline Lucas (pictured below) MEP for the South East England, won the contest to represent the party in its best prospect seat, Brighton Pavilion. Councillors Ben Duncan and Ian Davey were selected to stand in Brighton Kemp Town and Hove respectively.
Speaking about the prospect of an early general election, Caroline Lucas said:
“In the May local elections the 30% of the vote won by the Greens in Brighton Pavilion was a higher share than any other party – so we are already in the lead. That great result was significantly up on the share of the vote we achieved in the 2005 General.
“In fact in every general election since 1992 the Greens are the only party in the city to have seen a steady and continuous growth in its support. We have moved from a little over two percent to an unprecedented 22% achieved at the last General Election – the highest share secured by a Green candidate ever.
“Having represented the city in Europe since 1999 I have seen the same growth in our share of the vote – in fact in 2004 my share of the vote in Pavilion was 30% too, “I strongly believe that it will work in the Green Party’s favour if Prime Minister Gordon Brown decides to cut and run and go for an early general election.
"The momentum is clearly with the Green Party. Voters want to see change and we will be working hard to ensure that Brighton Pavilion returns the country’s first Green Member of Parliament to Westminster. So I say, bring it on!”
Notes to editors:
For more information please contact Geoffrey Bowden External Communications Coordinator on 07958 682 683.[ENDS]
