London Assembly and Mayoral selection

I have been in Cardiff at the party conference and unable to blog since Friday - more of the conference anon - but I received the ballot papers last week for the London Assembly and Mayoral selections for the Green Party  and I want to record here who I will be supporting in that election.

Firstly, for the Mayoral selection I am supporting Farid Bakht. I know Farid over several years and have found him a dedicated political activist and good public speaker and a person who tries to connect with all of London's people and particularly its ethnic minorities, where there is huge potential support for the Green Party. With an international and journalistic background, he keeps his finger on the pulse and is well able to handle journalists and interviews, unlike some other candidates. Here is a clip of him speaking at an event organised by Stop the War Coalition on Gaza recently. Farid is also hugely supportive of young people and students and marched with them in the recent demonstrations as well as being strongly supportive of their issues.



Farid's campaign website is here

Secondly, for the London Assembly elections I am backing in the following order

1. Noel Lynch - the long time Convenor of the London Green Party. I knew Noel when he was last an Assembly member and he did a great job in City Hall. On health issues, which is one of the main areas I am involved in, he sat on the Health Committee and did a great deal of work around helping some of London's poorest and most vulnerable communities on health issues and even went so far as to allow his office to be used for the initial meetings of the London Ambulance Service Patients Forum. I am the current Chair of the Forum, which will soon be giving evidence to the Assembly's Health and Public Services Committee. He also campaigned hard for the homeless, pensioners, the Irish community, animal rights and spearheaded a major Assembly report into the lack of proper public toilets in London. He has worked tirelessly for all party members across London over the years and often burns the midnight oil to make himself available to assist members, answer questions and get things done. It is instructive that the convenors of 15 local Green parties across London have endorsed Noel's candidacy. His website etc are here.
2. Romayne Phoenix - national Campaigns Coordinator of the Green Party and Chair of the Coalition of Resistance. Romayne hardly eats or sleeps, such is the amount of time and effort she puts into campaigning. She is out in all weathers organising stalls and leaflets all around London for major protests and events. She was a councillor in Lewisham for four years until last year and impressed all who knew her with her radicalism and commitment. As a founder member of the Coalition of Resistance, she was worked tirelessly supporting the anti-cuts movement and was one of the main people behind the hugely successful conference which COR held last November. As a single mother with several children, Romayne knows and understands the real bread and butter issues facing many Londoners now, especially in the light of so many losing their jobs. I have seen her work with figures as diverse as Jesse Jackson and major trade union leaders and she is also a leading activist in the Campaign against Climate Change and the Trade Unions Against Climate Change. She is also someone who will never betray principles.
3. Andy Hewett - from my local Green party (Lambeth) Andy is a former Campaigns Coordinator, and is now working day and night with the Lambeth Save Our Services Campaign to prevent savage cuts in services. Never one to be afraid of non-violent direct action - he was among those who recently occupied Lambeth Town Hall on the night of the cuts and took a leading role in the student demonstrations also - assisting many Young Greens and student activists with whom he was kettled on Westminster Bridge. He stood as a parliamentary candidate in Greenwich last year and increased the Green vote significantly as well as building close alliances with local pensioner and anti-academies groups and others. Andy is a 'hands on' political activist and listens to people's concerns with passion and interest. Andy is also a member of the national Steering Committee of the Coalition of Resistance.
4. Farid Bakht - I have already written about Farid above, but a good placing on the Assembly list would be excellent.