With just over one month to go until May’s crucial local elections, optimism is high among Green Party politicians in Lambeth, with a full council takeover a stated target.
Just over a month out from upcoming local elections, the South East Londoner spoke to a buoyant Paul Valentine, councillor for Herne Hill and Loughborough Junction.
“For the next election in Lambeth we’re really excited to get as many Greens elected as possible, and I do think the sky’s the limit, really, and I think it should be, because after 20 years of Labour people are fed up with that administration,” Valentine said.
“I think it’s quite possible we could get enough Greens elected to give us control of the council,” he added.
Lambeth Council has been under Labour control since 2006, 54 out of 63 current councillors associating with the party.
“It’s been a one-party state, but now is the time for change, and the beauty of Gorton and Denton is that it was well publicised: people can see now that Greens can win anywhere.”
Valentine was adamant about the importance of the Gorton and Denton by-election, in which the Green Party’s Hannah Spencer won with a majority of 4,402, becoming the party’s fifth MP and their first in the North.
“Labour don’t offer hope anymore, they just offer stale sound bites, and Gorton and Denton proves that,” Valentine said.
“I think there’s multiple councils that could go into no overall control or could flip to Green.
“We’re big in Hackney, we know Lambeth’s looking good, we know there’s a Lewisham mayoral election which will influence everything as well, I think just across London: I mean it’s not just North London, South London, East or West, it’s everywhere.
“And of course we’re getting defections as well from Labour.”
Indeed, just three months ago, five Brent councillors defected from the Labour Party to the Greens, with Zack Polanski, leader of The Green Party of England and Wales, describing the defections as part of a “Green surge” across London.
“But that’s just the start, I think,” Valentine said.
“May the Seventh is going to be a shockwave, I really do I think Labour and the Conservatives are going to have an absolutely bruising night.”
Featured image credit: Samuel Sandor
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