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Bristol Green Party have today welcomed the news that Darren Hall has been elected to run as the candidate this May’s Metro Mayor Elections in the West of England.
Darren Hall was the Green Party candidate in Bristol West in 2015 when the Greens narrowly missed out gaining their second parliamentary seat. Hall received a swing in votes of 3 to 27%, one of the most impressive swings in recent history.
Welcoming his selection leader of the Green Councillors in Bristol, Charlie Bolton, said,
“The Green movement in Bristol has transformed in recent years. We have gone from just a few Councillors on Bristol City Council to be one of the biggest groups and, in 2015, we very nearly elected our first MP in the city with one of the most impressive vote increases in recent history. Darren is well known in Bristol, not just as the candidate in Bristol West in 2015, but also someone who is at the heart of the wider green movement. Darren is well liked and respected by a wide range of partners in the region and I am delighted to see him as our candidate for this incredibly important Metro Mayor position.”
He continued, “The newly elected Metro Mayor is going to have huge sway over Bristol and the surrounding region’s housing, transport and sustainability planning. The remit of the combined authority is also going to heavily overlap with issues which affect the quality of our environment. As such, it is vital that we get an environmentalist at the top table to help make the decisions. Darren is ideally suited to do this.”
Welcoming his selection Darren Hall said,
“I am honoured to have been selected by Green Party members from across the Bristol & Bath area to represent them in this role. I passionately believe though that this isn’t about local politics, there is an incredibly important job of work to do. This is about practical, positive change to ensure Bristol & Bath have a prosperous long-term future.
“Our region is home to top quality jobs in design, technology, finance and legal sectors but we have to make sure they are fit for the future, as well as offering opportunities for all those that aren’t currently part of that success story. This position of Metro Mayor is a fantastic opportunity for us to have a greater say in how we direct millions of pounds of investment into the infrastructure, planning and education that can, and must, put local communities first.
He continued, “People want to be able to live somewhere that is affordable, be able to get to work easily and cheaply, and to have a secure, meaningful job so that they can look after their families. Most would also like to be able to do all that in a way that doesn’t ruin the planet. That is what this role is all about, and with my experience as an engineer, as the Director of social enterprises, and as someone who has worked for many years with government at all levels, I feel that I can reach out to communities to go beyond local politics and concentrate on delivering real, positive change.
Molly Scott Cato MEP and Green Party parliamentary candidate for Bristol West added,
“Having worked with Darren during his Bristol West parliamentary campaign in 2015 I saw how he reached out to thousands of people, securing 27% of the vote in the constituency.
He has a natural charisma and an affinity to the neighbourhoods in and around Bristol. As a MEP I can see the need for regional cooperation and planning and I am convinced that Darren, as a Green Metro Mayor, is the right person to fulfil that role.”
Jonathan Bartley, the Co-Leader of The Green Party who came to Bristol to make the announcement commented,
“No one can doubt Darren’s qualities as a candidate. He has a proven track record in Bristol of convincing tens of thousands of people to vote Green. He has an impressive knowledge of the West of England region understanding the challenges around housing, transport and sustainability that this role will need to tackle.”
He continued, “Seeing the quality of candidates that put themselves forward for the Greens it is clear how seriously we are taking this role. Darren is a top-quality candidate and I look forward to joining him in making the case for why only Greens can be trusted in this incredibly important position”.