Shepway Green Party has selected Georgina Treloar as its General Election candidate for Folkestone & Hythe, following a local meeting on Monday evening (19 August).
Georgina was elected as a district councillor for Hythe in May’s local elections with an impressive winning margin and is confident that the district’s strong and unprecedented Green vote will translate to a general election.
She says: “People are waking up to the climate and ecological crisis. They’re ready to see a transition to a truly equitable society and environmentally sustainable economy, something the Green Party has been championing for decades. My role as a district councillor has given me an excellent insight into local concerns, not just about the environment but the many difficulties people face living their daily lives.”
Since being elected to the district council, Georgina has successfully tabled a motion for the council to declare a climate and ecological emergency and to take action in becoming carbon net zero by 2030. The motion gained cross-party support and passed unanimously.
She sits on the Planning Committee and has brought the local issue of flood risk and sea level rise to full council, calling into question the robustness of current plans and strategies.
Georgina says: “Preparedness for the impacts of climate change is vital for our district. Building awareness and resilience in our area is critical. I’ll work hard to make sure we achieve that as well as advocate for better social provision including more council housing, so people can feel more secure in their lives.”
As well as fulfilling her council responsibilities, Georgina works as a communications consultant and freelance copywriter. Her interest in how we communicate environmental issues has led her to do a part-time PhD in Environmental Social Science at the University of Kent.
In standing as the Green Party’s candidate for the next election, which many believe could be called later this year, Georgina wants to provide the people of Shepway with an approachable, alert and responsible pair of hands in Westminster.
She says: “Elected Greens work hard for their communities. If you genuinely want a breath of fresh air and are disillusioned with the major parties, vote Green. We’re seeing a lot of greening of agendas across the political spectrum thanks to grassroots activism, but there’s only one party you can trust to stay true to its values.
“Whilst much of the debate in the run-up to the next General Election will continue to be about Brexit, we must not allow this to obscure the threat of climate change and the action we must take now to reduce its impact upon all of us and future generations. Nor must we forget that the polices of the last decade have left more people affected more deeply by poverty and homelessness. I want to see a fairer, more compassionate politics emerge from the current chaos and that’s what I will be campaigning for.”
The Green Party enjoyed unprecedented success in local elections all over the country in May. Here, six councillors were elected to Folkestone & Hythe District Council with some of the biggest margins and the Conservatives lost overall control. The Tories also lost control of Hythe Town Council, where six Green Party councillors now form a coalition with a Lib Dem and two independents.
