Carla Denyer: Green Party co-leader helps East Herts members launch Hertfordshire County Council election campaign
The East Herts Green Party has launched its Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) election campaign with support from national co-leader Carla Denyer.
She was joined by almost 100 supporters at the event, where they began the countdown to polling day on Thursday May 1.
As they accused the ruling Conservatives of creating a “county of chaos”, the party named a candidate for each of the 10 HCC divisions in East Herts. The four contenders for the three Bishop’s Stortford seats and single Sawbridgeworth one are all serving councillors in Ware and Hertford.
Currently, Cllr Ben Crystall is the party’s only HCC member. He is also leader of East Herts Council (EHC), where the Greens share power with the Liberal Democrats.
The party hopes to build on its “huge success” in the May 2023 EHC election, when it routed the Conservatives, ending 28 years in control of the district.
The Greens were pre-eminent in Hertford, Ware and Buntingford, winning 19 seats, but in Stortford they came last in every ward they contested bar one – where they beat the Heritage Party’s 35 votes.
At the launch, Ms Denyer, MP for Bristol Central, who is co-leader with Adrian Ramsay, said: “This May, residents of East Hertfordshire have an opportunity to bring an end to Conservative county council dominance once and for all and the Greens are best placed to oust them here. I’m delighted to lend my support to the East Herts Green Party’s exciting campaign.
“It’s incredible to see the rise in Green votes here in East Herts over the last few years. I’m... excited to be a part of the change we’re seeing.
“The work that the Green-led district council is doing here shows how much can be achieved with genuine commitment and by listening to residents’ needs. May’s elections are a once-in-a-generation chance to bring real change and I have no doubt that this team is ready to lead the way.”
The core message at the event was “Enough is Enough”. East Herts Green Party highlighted how the Conservatives at County Hall have failed to tackle key issues such as neglected roads, underfunded public transport, failed families and a pollution public health crisis.
The Green Party candidate for the Bishop’s Stortford West seat won in 2021 by Tory Cllr Alastair Ward-Booth is EHC chair Cllr Maura Connolly, who co-represents Hertford Kingsmead. She is also a Hertford town councillor.
Andrew Zsibrita, a member of Ware Town Council, is standing in Bishop’s Stortford East, which is currently held by Lib Dem Cllr Calvin Horner.
His fellow Ware town councillor, George Williams, who is also an EHC member for Ware Priory, will contest the Bishop’s Stortford Rural seat held by Conservative Cllr Graham McAndrew.
And another Ware town councillor, James Taylor-Moran, wants to win the Sawbridgeworth seat retained four years ago by Conservative Cllr Eric Buckmaster.
Cllr Crystall, who is seeking re-election in Hertford All Saints, said: “I’m horrified at how much money the Conservative county council has wasted while failing many residents.
“Enough is enough. People in our area are passionate for change and this is a historic opportunity to replace a failing Conservative county council. In East Herts, the Greens are the only party who are strong enough to take them on. It’s time to vote for real change.”
Herts County Council has 78 members. The present split is 45 Conservatives, 24 Lib Dems, seven Labour, one Green and one Independent.
Since the East Herts Council election in May 2023, two people elected as Greens have become Independents. The party also controls Hertford and Ware town councils.
