8 January 2015
The candidates selected for the Westminster election in North Hertfordshire and Stevenage this year are Richard Wise (Hitchin and Harpenden), Graham White (Stevenage) and Mario May (North East Hertfordshire). Read on to find out more about them.
Mario is a school teacher, he is active in the local community and is passionate about the building of sustainable and affordable housing. Mario has lived and worked in Letchworth Garden City for over 20 years and is well known to many community groups and local businesses.
“It is a great honour to be selected by Green Party members given the surge in membership across the county. We are the only Party that is serious about the rejuvenation of our town centres and villages. I will be working tirelessly to make North Hertfordshire District Council think again about their catastrophic housing plans.”
Graham White lives locally and runs his own business as a Medical Herbalist.
“I am extremely concerned by the County Council proposals to reduce bus services, particularly at weekends and evening. I am also troubled by the Government’s plan to sell off East Coast Railways to a private consortium, when in public hands it has returned nearly £1bn to the taxpayer.
“The Green Party will put a halt to privatisation and cut the cost of public transport by 10% this year, paid for by scrapping most of the government's new road-building programme.”
Richard Wise, candidate for Hitchin and Harpenden, has lived in Hitchin for 34 years. Now retired, Richard previously worked in the film and advertising industries before becoming a lecturer in politics, economics and media at the University of Bedfordshire.
“I am opposed to the insanity of austerity as it accelerates the poverty and ecological crises we face. We need an urgent investment in green infrastructure if we are not to leave our children with an impoverished life.
“I support the minimum wage being increased to £10 per hour by 2020 so that every worker aged over 16 is paid a fair wage. I am strongly opposed to public money being wasted on privatisation schemes in the NHS. Health care should not be driven by profit, but be free for everyone.”