The Severn ward by-election yesterday (June 11) saw Moya Shannon becoming the 24th Green Party councillor on Stroud District Council.

Moya won with 439 votes, ahead of the nearest rival, the Conservative candidate, who got 425 votes. The other candidates were from Reform (421), Labour (177), the Liberal Democrats (112) and UKIP (5).

Moya will take the seat previously occupied by Labour councillor Richard Maisey, whose death in April sadly triggered the by-election.

Moya said: “I am very grateful to the voters of this ward for putting their faith in me and the Green Party to represent them and I look forward to working for the best interests of the many voices in our community.

“I come to this job with my own particular set of values and goals. The healthy and sustainable use of our local environment and the agricultural, business, wildlife, and living spaces within it, are all very important to me, as are local transport solutions and community energy production. I hope to support people and make a positive difference in these important aspects of our lives.”

She added: “Having lived in this ward and raised my family here I have a deep connection to the place and the people, and it is both for the place and for the people that I intend to work. 

“Many people have approached me with their ideas and with issues that need resolving and I aim to listen to and work on the concerns that have been brought up during this campaign. I will expect to hear many more and I will do whatever I can within my role to address these for all the people of the Severn ward.”

Cllr Chloe Turner, leader of the SDC Green group, said: “We’re delighted with this result, which reflects the strength of Moya as a local candidate and champion for her community, and wider support for our Green administration at Stroud District Council.

“We were always in a strong position, given feedback from residents showing that there was a local appetite for the Green ethos of fairer, greener politics. Richard Maisey was a very popular councillor and the people of Severn clearly wanted a community focused, green-thinking and warm person to replace him.

“I look forward to working with Moya as part of the newly enlarged Green group; she will be an asset to our friendly, dedicated and collaborative team.”

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Greens say they are hopeful of winning their first seats in Exeter, retaining councillors in East and South Devon and winning new seats in North Devon, Torridge and Mid Devon. 

Local Green parties in Devon will this weekend welcome Zack Polanski, the deputy leader of the Green Party. He will visit Exeter on Sunday afternoon to help with last minute canvassing efforts by Green candidates and campaigners.

Andy Ketchin is Green city councillor in Newtown and St Leonard’s and is hoping to take the County seat from Labour in St David’s and Haven Banks. He said:

“We’ve knocked on thousands of doors across Exeter and the message is clear. The Conservatives are toast and support for Labour is in meltdown. As the tired old parties melt away, people are looking for alternatives. The seven Green city councillors in Exeter have a track record of hard work and holding the Labour administration to account – a positive antidote to the negative, divisive and populist rhetoric of Reform. 

“In many divisions in the city, which four years ago saw Labour candidates win with large majorities, support has evaporated. People feel let down by Labour’s attacks on the most vulnerable: welfare cuts for the disabled and removing winter fuel allowances for the elderly.

“It’s now a close race between Labour and Greens across many divisions in the city and we know from conversations on the doorstep that people are turning to the Green Party.”   

Jack Eade is in a close race with Labour in Heavitree and Whipton Barton. He pointed to Labour’s record of failure in the division:

“Community groups in Heavitree & Whipton Barton – including volunteer groups which help maintain the park and support health centre patients as well as a food bank – have missed out on £14,600 in grants because the Labour councillor here has been AWOL and didn’t sign off funding agreements (1). Local residents deserve so much better. They need a councillor who is embedded in the local community and working hard for them. That is what they will get if they elect me as their councillor on Thursday. 

“I am determined to ensure there is good community engagement before new projects begin in the area; I believe people should be genuinely involved in decisions that affect their lives.”  

Thomas Richardson, Green candidate in St Sidwell’s and St James added:

“The mood in the Green Party is buoyant. After these elections we expect to have more Devon County councillors than ever before and more than Labour. We are delighted to welcome the deputy leader of the Green Party to Exeter on Sunday to experience for himself the positive reception we are getting on the doorstep.”

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Huw Thomas, Green Party candidate for Bideford East, said:

“South West Water holds the record as the worst performing water company, releasing sewage into our rivers and seas for a breathtaking 544,429 hours in 2024. Meanwhile, the company’s owner, Pennon Group, issued £24.5 million in dividends to shareholders. This is reward for failure and people have had their fill. 

“The Green Party has long called for water companies to be taken into public ownership so they work for people and the environment, not for private profit. South West Water, with its disgusting record on sewage spills and eye-watering bills should be front of the queue for nationalisation.” 

Councillor Any Ketchin, Green Party candidate for St David’s and Haven Banks in Exeter, added:

“For decades, money that should have been invested in improved infrastructure has been siphoned off to water company executives and shareholders. It’s time to flush this failed experiment with privatisation down the drain and for a service as vital as water and sewage to be run for the public good.” 

“Our rivers and waterways should be havens for wildlife and biodiversity and healthy places for people to enjoy. In too many cases they more closely resemble open sewers. It is clear, the answer is to take back control of water. Dwr Cymru Welsh Water is by far the best performing water company. It operates as a not-for-profit organisation with no shareholders and is run for public benefit.”

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The co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, Carla Denyer MP, was in Gloucestershire at the weekend as part of the Greens’ campaign launch for the Gloucestershire County Council elections in May.

On Friday night she was one of the speakers at the public meeting at St Laurence Church, Stroud, about local government reorganisation. Politicians from the Green, Labour and Conservative parties were on a panel to discuss the proposed changes, which would see District Councils, including Stroud, being abolished.

Carla spent Saturday morning in the Forest of Dean meeting local supporters, candidates and councillors, before going to Gloucester to meet Green candidates and councillors from across the county. She then travelled to Stroud to attend a private evening event.

Carla said: “The Greens already run the district councils in both Stroud and the Forest of Dean, and have a lot of support across the county. We have a very strong slate of candidates for the county elections, and there’s every chance that in May we’ll see a good increase in the number of Green county councillors in Shire Hall. This could erode the Conservative leadership’s slim majority and put the Green group into a position of power as part of a progressive political alliance on the council.

“I wish the Gloucestershire Greens well with this ambition, and know they have everything it takes to rise to the challenge.”

A full list of the candidates will be announced after the nomination period closes on April 2.

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Adrian Oldman, coordinator of Stroud District Green Party, said: “Around the country, people are being denied a vote at local elections in May because the Labour government wants to do away with many local councils and replace them with more unaccountable bodies.

“Cllr Stephen Davies, Conservative leader of Gloucestershire County Council, jumped on this move and tried to have these elections cancelled, because the county’s Conservatives were scared to face the voters with their painfully slim control of the council. Thankfully his request was turned down by the government yesterday, but the local Conservatives have forfeited their right to represent the county as we face an uncertain future for local decision-making.

“Now the government has confirmed that elections are being held here, let’s make sure the government hears from local people.”

Beki Hoyland, coordinator of the Forest of Dean Green Party, said: “The big parties in Westminster claim they want to devolve more power to local councils, but Labour’s latest plans will see this year’s election cancelled in eight counties. Our fragile democracy can’t afford to ignore the people’s right to vote.”

There are already five Green county councillors in Gloucestershire and the party believes it can increase that number significantly in May.

Adrian Oldman added: “We will have candidates standing so that people’s views on what happens in the place they live are heard in the council chamber.”

National Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay MP said: “It’s hard to think of anything more anti-democratic than cancelling elections ahead of a significant change in local democracy. It’s straight out of an authoritarian playbook. How can politicians claim an electoral mandate for major local government changes if those most impacted see their elections cancelled? 

“The Green Party is urging the government to save our democracy, allow these long-planned elections to take place and get around the table to discuss how to make devolution work for people in local areas across the country.

“We want decisions made closest to where they have the greatest impact with significant devolution of powers and funding from Westminster. Without that, people will grow ever more cynical about politics.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

The government’s plans are outlined here:
16 Dec 2024 Local government reorganisation: letter to two-tier areas – GOV.UK
5 Feb 2025 Devolution revolution: six areas to elect Mayors for first time – GOV.UK

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Heather said:

‘We’ve seen in recent elections that there is a real appetite for green solutions in the West Country. I hope to add to our Green wins across the region this year and offer a vision of real hope and real change.

‘Building on this success, Greens are offering a positive alternative to Labour’s failed regional leadership. The Regional Authority offers us a fantastic opportunity to invest in our regional transport network and to build a green economy by creating good-quality jobs across our region.

‘We have been a consistently poorly performing authority, largely due to the lack of a serious commitment to public transport and vocational skills.  As WECA leader, I would have the courage to use the powers and funding that go with the role to deliver the mass transit and sustained economic success our region needs.’

Heather now lives in Bristol and as a councillor has represented an under-served urban ward since 2021. However, she grew up in a council estate in rural Devon so she understands farming communities and the problem of rural deprivation. Before becoming elected, Heather worked for Oxfam and on sustainable food systems, which is particularly relevant for rural economic development within the region. 

For more information about Heather please contact press@bristolgreenparty.org.uk

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With 14 councillors currently, the Greens have been part of the ruling alliance on the council since 2012 and have led the alliance since 2022.

The party aims to build on its success by fielding candidates for all 51 council seats in each of the 27 district wards, with the aim of becoming the majority party and retaining its leadership of the council after May 2.

“By working cooperatively with our Independent and Lib Dem colleagues we have kept the Conservatives out of power for over a decade, ensuring that local council services are maintained and improved, and that there is support for our market towns and rural villages,” said Council Leader Cllr Catherine Braun.

“These years of being in power in Stroud have given us a huge breadth of experience in local government, and shown the Greens to be knowledgeable, collaborative and financially responsible.

“Our existing team of councillors work hard, all year round, in their wards to instigate positive change in the district and they bring to the council chamber real insight into the issues affecting their communities. A recent independent poll showed Green-led Stroud District Council has one of the best approval ratings in the country.

“Our experienced existing councillors are now joined by a strong, enthusiastic team of new candidates, who are embedded in their communities, involved with local organisations and campaigns, and committed to the Green ethos of social and environmental justice.

“Continued Green leadership of the District Council will enable the council to continue with its priorities of warm, affordable homes for all, a cleaner, greener district, support for residents’ health and wellbeing, and working in partnership to promote local business.   

“In the local elections on May 2 we urge voters to ignore the very different national political situation and vote Green, for collaborative politics and a bright future for Stroud district.”

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