South West Green Party

Ricky Knight

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Ricky Knight is a Barnstaple town councillor and was the Green Party's lead candidate for the South West region in the 2009 European Election. He is also a previous and prospective parliamentary candidate for North Devon.

Ricky recently gave up his job as a Modern Languages teacher at a Specialist Language College in Barnstaple in order to campaign full-time for the European election. He is a European Studies graduate, a keen if critical Europhile and dedicated eco-activist, having graduated into politics via CND, the Peace Movement and Greenpeace. He has been a Town Councillor for five years, stood for Westminster in 2005 and has been selected to run again next time. He has been a Green Party member for 25 years. His particular interests in the euro-sphere are energy, renewables, accountability and transparency, electoral reform and Climate Change.

Listen to Ricky interviewed on The Big Podcast. Thanks to Dany and Fat Steve for their support and permission to re-use.
Download mp3 (6.8 MB).

Ricky is not just a politician! Listen to his rendering of some well-known songs - with permission, of course!

Ricky has just been given permission from the great man himself to place his version of Peter Gabriel's classic 'Don't Give Up' on to this site - for edification and delectation! Ricky accompanies himself on piano and organ and Kate Bush's role is taken by West End star Julie Alannah Brighten, who was in Ricky's band back in the 80's. The track was engineered, mastered and produced by his son, Jason, who is Director of Live Performance at Brighton Institute of Modern Music.

Listen to Ricky singing anti-war acapella song "United States" with permission of Theo Simon of Seize the Day.
Read the full story of how this recording came about.

He is particularly keen to engage the disenfranchised and the disillusioned, first-time voters and those who have never voted and maintain they never will. He feels strongly that the Green Party is the only party that can refute the perception that all parties are the same, cannot be trusted, are remote and unrepresentative and only interested in short-term electoral gain. He identifies strongly with the example set by Caroline Lucas, an inspirational figure who has defied all the odds of minority politics to achieve deserved respect within the EU and who now aspires to be our first MP; someone who is as prepared to take to the barricades as to the debating chamber.

Ricky is keen to ensure that the European Campaign remains part of a co-ordinated strategy to reach out to new, emerging and established local parties, to energise, motivate, encourage and support all existing and potential members, with a view to achieving full slates for District and County elections and a Green candidate for Westminster in every SW constituency. He also intends to help foster the emergence of county-based Green parties as a third tier in our regional organisation.

Ricky is particularly interested in the following policy areas:

  • The European Union
  • Renewable energy / nuclear
  • Sustainable tourism & aviation
  • Global warming - contraction and convergence
  • Democratic deficit - electoral reform

rickyknight@northdevongreens.org.uk
01271 371732
07986 941 026
Facebook: Get Ricky Knight elected