Green Party announce their candidate for Meriden

GREEN SURGE: Alison Gavin, a local teacher, will
contest Meriden for the Green Party.

PUSHING for decent public services will be a top priority for the Green Party’s candidate in Meriden.
It was announced this week that Alison Gavin would go up against Caroline Spelman in the constituency that includes North Solihull.
The teacher – who has lived in the area for eight years and previously taught at Oaklands School, in Smith’s Wood – said that the Greens were the only party offering a genuine alternative.
“We need a restructure of public services that works for the common good of all people, not just the interests of big corporations where profit is their number one motive,” said Ms Gavin.
“At the moment we have Labour and UKIP too similar to the Con-Lib coalition to be able to make any difference.”
Councillor Howard Allen, who will stand for the party in neighbouring Solihull, described Ms Gavin as a “first rate candidate” and said that her commitment to fairness would resonate with voters.
While the Greens finished sixth in the constituency at the last General Election, they argue that they are now the official opposition to Conservative incumbent Mrs Spelman.
In 2010, the Greens had a single council seat, but have added five more since – wiping out Labour in Chelmsley Wood and Smith’s Wood wards.
Activists locally will also be buoyed by news that their national polling is now at a 20-year high and membership has soared to over 40,000. The surge in support is believed to have been driven by broadcasters' original intention to exclude the party from the pre-election TV debates.

HOW THEY LINE UP: 100 days before polling day,
all the major parties have now announced their candidate for Meriden.