The Green Party have 16 candidates vying for election
By Victoria Munro

Green Party candidates campaigning in Leytonstone

A firm opposition to expanding the Edmonton Incinerator is one of many ways the Green Party hopes to win local votes next week.

A total of 16 Green candidates hope to secure a seat in the council chamber when residents go to the polls on 5th May, something that has yet to happen in the borough’s history.

The Greens promise to encourage walking by making pavements safer, build more sustainable housing, preserve green spaces and oppose the new incinerator.

Leytonstone candidate Charlotte Lafferty said she was attracted to the Green because she knows “first-hand the harm that other party’s policies do” after growing up in a working-class family.

In addition to her commitment to protect the environment, she said: “As a London renter, I also know how outrageous the cost of living has become. I will be putting forward the case for rent caps, home insulations, universal basic income and many other Green Party policies so that no one has to choose between heating or eating.

“I will work to ensure that everyone has a green space nearby and will back projects like ‘Save Lea Marshes’ and their plan to transform the filter beds on Lea Bridge Road into a place for wild swimming.

“I will also put pressure on the council to remove support for projects such as the Edmonton Incinerator, which is absurd and the last thing we need when tackling the climate emergency.”

Fellow ward candidate Mark Dawes, who has been part of the local Green party for decades, has a track record of animal rights campaigns and fought to stop dog racing returning to Walthamstow.

He told the Echo: “It is time for a genuine green voice in Waltham Forest to help address the serious issues we face – like climate change – and to work towards a better quality of life for everyone, not just the wealthy few.

“We need to decouple human development from environmental impacts so we can live in harmony with the planet. The Green Party believes all life should be respected and that we should protect nature and the environment.”

See a full list of the Green Party’s candidates for the local election on their website here.

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