26 June 2019
Welcome to the e-newsletter for members, supporters and friends of Witham & Braintree Green Party
If there is an event or news you would like us to include, please get in touch
2019 Local elections - what a night - again !
Following the unprecedented success for the Green Party at the local elections held on the 2nd May, we did it all again a few weeks later as the votes for Green candidates piled up at the European elections.
7 Green MEPs were elected nationally – our previous best being 3. The Greens easily beat the Conservatives – this is the first time this has ever happened at a national election
In Essex the total Green vote was 47,475 which was 10.5% of those who voted.
The top performance was in Colchester Borough with a Green vote share of 14.7%.
We in Braintree District were second in Essex in terms of vote share with 13.6% and Maldon District did well too, securing 11.5%.
The Braintree District result was the most remarkable in our 30 year history of contesting elections.
Brexit Party came top with 44.7%, the Lib Dems came second with 17.0% and the Greens were third with our 13.6% vote share, beating not only the Tories on 10.8%, but also Labour who slumped to a very low level of 6%.
Across eastern Region the Green vote was strong enough to at last elect our first MEP – Catherine Rowett – seen in the above picture (2nd from right) campaigning in Witham just before the election. Jenny Sandum, one of our newly elected district councillors (Kelvedon and Feering ward) is pictured at left.
The success at the European elections came hot on the heels of easily our best ever local elections in the 46 year history of the Green Party. We went up from 178 councillors on principal authorities to 362 councillors and representation expanded to 122 councils, an increase of 53.
Green and Independent group
Our new group of 8 councillors on BDC has been undertaking training and all the committee places are now agreed. It has been confirmed that the group is the Main Opposition on BDC to the Tory administration.
At the next Full Council meeting of BDC in July we will be tabling motions for debate on a number of issues including the climate and species extinction emergency and opposing local library closures.
30 years
This month marks 30 years since the formation of Witham and Braintree Green Party. We had hoped to hold an event in mid-month but that has now been put back to July as we are trying to get a national speaker who is currently not available. Details will be announced in the July newsletter.
30 years ago the Greens actually had their best ever European election result – with an even higher vote share than this year. But in 1989 European elections were still held under the First-Past-The-Post system and so no Green MEPs were elected back then.
Green Drinks
The next Green Drinks will be held on the Summer Solstice (a co-incidence but a good one !) on Friday 21st June at the Western Arms Silver End at 7.30pm.
Essex Green Party meeting
Each year we hold a meeting open to all Essex members which is also the AGM. This year we are aiming to hold it in September and probably in Chelmsford at a larger venue. Details tbc.
NEXT NEWSLETTER: July 2019
Printed and published by Local Party Contact Cllr. James Abbott
1 Waterfall Cottages Rivenhall Witham Essex CM8 3PR
Tel 01376 584576 e-mail james.abbott@greenparty.org.uk
Local Party Agent Cllr. Phil Hughes Tel 01376 515518 e-mail cllrphughes@care4free.net
For national news and campaigns visit www.greenparty.org.uk
follow Essex Green Party on facebook for regular updates on meetings, campaigns, election results, reports from County Hall
and advance notice of Green councillors being on radio and TV:
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