Wales Green Party have welcomed the ITV Wales Yougov (1) opinion poll giving the Greens 9% in South Wales Central National Assembly Region putting the party on target to elect its 1st Assembly Member in the region comprising Cardiff, the Vale and Rhondda Valleys. Greens received 6.4% across the Region the last time an election was held using proportional representation during the 2009 European elections with 8% across Cardiff. For Greens to make history and be elected to the Assembly for the first time they would need to receive between 7 and 8% across South Wales Central.

Jake Griffiths Wales Green Party Leader said”The Yougov poll gives Greens real hope of electing our first Green Assembly Members in next years elections. Greens in the Welsh Assembly would be joining Caroline Lucas who was elected as Britain’s first Green MP in this year’s General Election and Green Colleagues in Northern Ireland, Scotland and the European Parliament.”

He continued “Green AMs are needed to challenge the devastating cuts to public services being imposed by Westminster and to get Wales onto the path for a low-carbon economy. Our policies would create jobs to beat the recession as well as tackling climate change effectively, and these ideas must be heard in the Assembly chamber if we hope for them to become reality. Caroline Lucas, our first MP has already made her place in asking difficult questions that MPs from the old parties shy away from. Green AMs would continue this tradition in truly holding the Welsh Government to account.”

Notes:

The National Assembly Elections are conducted using the Additional Member System. 40 AMs are elected in the same way as Westminster elections. 20 more ‘top-up’ AMs are elected across 5 regions of Wales to compensate for parties who missed out on constituencies. This means that small parties gaining around 7% of the vote can elect Assembly Members on the regional ballot.

The Green Party have finalised their candidates for the South Wales West Regional List for the Assembly Elections in 2011.

Two of the four candidates are from Bridgend Green Party which, considering South Wales West covers seven parliamentary constituencies, is indicative of the resurgent fortunes of Bridgend Green Party.

Andy Chyba has been the prime mover in re-establishing the Green Party in Bridgend and is one of the candidates. He describes himself as a libertarian leftie who was drawn to the party by the realisation that social justice and environmental issues are inextricably linked. As he taught geography for twenty years he has a sound understanding of such matters. He currently teaches literacy and numeracy skills to the long-term unemployed so he also understands how the current education and economic systems are failing people.

Andy says, “We need to recognise that the current education system was designed in Victorian times and simply does not prepare people for the world we live in today. On one hand we have shameful levels of functional illiteracy in our adult population, while on the other hand we have thousands of well-qualified graduates burdened with enormous lifelong debt and dire job prospects.

“Our whole political system is driven by the needs of big business and an economy built on the shifting sands of financial services that only truly ever serve their own interests rather than mine or yours.

“It is time to re-direct our focus to the needs of individuals, families and communities, especially those struggling to see a way forward in these depressing times. The Green Party offers a fresh approach that is optimistic, sustainable and fair. It is based on reducing inequalities and investing in job creation in the industries of the future here in South Wales. Every Green vote is important to building the pressure for a different, better way of doing things.”

Delyth Miller is the other Bridgend Green on the list of candidates. Delyth is a single mum with two children living in Bettws. She knows first-hand the difficulties and frustrations of trying to build a positive future in Britain today. The education system failed her badlybut she is now making up for lost time by going back to school and realising that the more you put into life, the more you get back. She therefore works as a Samaritans volunteer and an adult training centre volunteer, alongside being a secondary school governor and a part-time student.

Delyth says, “I have discovered late in life the importance of a good education and of never giving up on people. We have the people and resources to help everyone build themselves a better future, but all too often we see obstacles put in the way of people finding the help they need. The availability of any such help is now being jeopardised by the savage and unnecessary cuts from the Con-Dem coalition. This simply is not a fair approach to the problems we face.

“The Green Party offers a coherent programme for a fairer, better world for our children. I am passionate about providing a brighter future for the younger generation than the appalling legacy being created for them from a succession of Labour and Conservative governments. There are positive alternatives. Think outside the box and put your cross in the Green Party box.”

South Wales West consists of seven constituencies (Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Swansea East and Swansea West). For such a fledgling local party to have two candidates is a great honour and gives us some instant credibility.

Meet the candidates at the Bridgend EAGM on Thursday 18th November7.30pm in the Haywain Function Room.

PROVISIONAL AGENDA

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Apologies for Absence
3. Recap of the re-launch viability meeting
4. Election of Officers
5. Our Local Party Constitution
6. Bank account status
7. Election campaigns
8. Setting our priorities
9. Fun fundraising
10. Any Other Business