Thanet Green Party has selected long time isle resident Steve Roberts as its candidate for the new Parliamentary constituency of East Thanet.
Steve, who is a Broadstairs Town Councillor, said: “I am proud to have been selected as the Parliamentary candidate for the constituency where I live and work. If elected I will work hard for residents.
“My priorities will include:
- putting green policies at the heart of the campaign. While other parties only talk about the environment, I’ll be campaigning for the urgent changes needed to protect our natural environment and safeguard us from climate breakdown.
- challenging the current political dialogue that labels poverty a ‘lifestyle choice’. This is offensive and untrue. Poverty is a political choice, and much of the poverty we’re seeing nowadays is the result of Conservative policies. Thanet district has the highest number and proportion of children living in absolute low – income families in Kent (4,545, 18.1%). The Green Party supports Universal Basic Income, one of many policies that will help end poverty. We need an MP who will fight to reduce poverty as a priority.
- holding Southern Water to account for their abysmal level of service. The Green Party is the only party with a policy to take the water companies, along with other public services, back into public ownership so their profits don’t get siphoned off to shareholders and can be spent on improving services.
- supporting the work of Green Councillors at Thanet District Council in opposing over-development and irresponsible development. Thanet needs more housing but not what is being developed; we need housing that local people can afford; we need housing on brownfield sites and not the prime farmland Kent is famous for.
- campaigning to reduce privilege and increase the power of ordinary people. The Green Party supports the introduction of proportional representation so that everyone’s vote truly counts. I’ll be arguing for this during the campaign.”
A Green Party candidate has also been selected for the new Herne Bay and Sandwich constituency and details will be released shortly.
The Green Party will be standing candidates throughout England and Wales at the forthcoming General Election.
A party representative said: “Everyone has the right to vote for a party with policies they believe in. For many people who usually vote for the old traditional parties this now feels difficult. How do I use my vote when I believe in principles like Trade Unions and the right to withdraw labour, actions that genuinely address the climate emergency and taxing the ultra-rich to fund essential public services? The Green Party upholds these values – which is one reason why the Green Party is such a fast-growing political party.
“The Green Party cannot be viewed through the old lens of right and left. It represents an alternative approach to politics, bringing a commitment to social justice together with a commitment to climate justice.”
Labour has selected candidate Polly Billington to stand for the east Thanet constituency and it is understood Conservative’s Craig Mackinlay will also stand again despite being in recovery after undergoing extreme surgery as a result of sepsis where he suffered multiple organ failures.
Parliamentary constituencies had been North and South Thanet but the Boundary Commission for England review recommended changes for Thanet with an East Thanet constituency taking in Ramsgate, Broadstairs and most of Margate but Westbrook, Birchington, Garlinge, Thanet villages wards and Westgate coming under a Herne Bay and Sandwich County Constituency.
The 2023 Boundary Review aim was to rebalance the number of electors each MP represents, resulting in significant change to the existing constituency map. As part of the review, the number of constituencies in England will increase from 533 to 543.
The next United Kingdom general election must be held no later than 28 January 2025 with Parliament being dissolved no later than 17 December 2024. However, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he expects to call a general election “in the second half” of 2024.
