Back in March 2023, Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay made two visits to East Suffolk. He boosted local campaigns that aim to elect a historic number of Green Party councillors to the East Suffolk District council in May.
Adrian Ramsay spent Friday 31st March in Halesworth, where local Green Party candidates Geoff Wakeling and Beth Keys-Holloway both hoped to win seats after the Greens lost by a mere five votes in the last district election.
Beth and Geoff both grew up in the Halesworth area. Beth works as a gardener and theatre practitioner, while Geoff runs his family farm.
Adrian spent Tuesday 4th April in Bungay, where he supported the campaigns of Toby Hammond and Anthony Speca. Here too, the Green Party lost by a small margin of around 50 votes only.
In both Halesworth and Bungay, concerns have been raised about water pollution and expansive housing developments. Last summer, over 200 people turned out in Bungay for an anti-sewage protest, after reports showed a worrying level of pollution of the River Waveney.
According to The Rivers Trust, in 2021 sewage spilled into the River Waveney for a total of 1026 hours in Bungay alone.
Toby Hammond, Green Party candidate in Bungay, says: “It is high time for the water companies to be brought back under public control. The privatised water companies are like cash machines for their owners: over the last 30 years, they have paid out almost £60bn to shareholders, many of whom are overseas, whilst continuing to allow this kind of pollution to our rivers. It is not on.”
Adrian Ramsay says: “Greens understand the importance of protecting our waterways and green spaces, whether it’s from overdevelopment and the building of unaffordable housing or pollution.”
Adrian Ramsay was a leading Councillor in Norwich from 2003-2011, and served as deputy leader of the party from 2008-2012 before being elected as co-leader of the Green Party in 2021. He is also the Green Party’s Parliamentary candidate for the new constituency on the Norfolk/Suffolk border.
