Green Party leader Adrian Ramsey and Green Party councillor Ellie Chowns spoke to the Gazette about the upcoming local elections in Herefordshire.

Greens are campaigning to get more green councillors elected in Herefordshire and win more seats in the council.

The party already has a strong presence in the area, having gained control as a junior partner council, and is now looking to increase its influence by having more places across the county with Greens representing them.

Mr Ramsey stated that the party has seen unprecedented growth in the number of people voting green across the country. The Greens have been winning seats in rural and urban areas from the Conservatives and Labour, and more people are seeing what the party offers as a fresh approach for fairer, greener communities.

One of the issues that Greens are campaigning for is the restoration of the River Wye, and it’s harmful levels of pollution. Chowns stated that the issue is national and needs regulatory action by the government and regulatory agencies. She highlighted the need for more effective regulation and the creation of a water protection zone to tackle the problem at its source.

Greens are targeting the Conservatives in the local elections, but Cllr Chowns acknowledged that the council is a cross-party one. The Greens already have influence on the local authority, but they want to increase it.

Chowns added that she got involved in politics because she felt she couldn’t sit back and leave it to the people who were currently doing it. She recognized that people just want something fixed and a representative who will work hard for them on the things that are really close to home.