The Green Party has announced five new speakers who will be joining its team of spokespeople.
Spokespeople appear alongside the leadership to speak on their specific areas of advocacy.The new members are Matt Edwards (Transport and Healthy Streets), Hannah Clare (Peace and Global Justice), Ria Patel (Equalities and Diversity), Ellie Chowns (Housing and Communities), and Dr Pavalli Devulapalli (Health, Social Care and Public Health).
Matt Edwards, Hannah Clare and Ellie Chowns are all elected councillors for the Green Party, representing wards in Bradford, Brighton and North Herefordshire respectively. Ria Patel is also an elected councillor, representing a seat on Croydon council and has campaigned extensively on diversity issues. Dr Devulapalli is a GP in West Norfolk and has stood as a Green Party candidate in European and Parliamentary elections.
They will join a now fourteen strong team of spokespeople, co-leader Carla Denyer described the new members as “knowledgeable and passionate”, their expertise would, she said “add to the rich tapestry of talent” that makes the team strong.
The additions to the team of speakers come in the wake to two parliamentary by-elections that saw green candidates achieve fourth place in Tiverton and Honiton with 2.5% of the vote, and Wakefield where they gained 2.1% of the vote.
Following a strong performance in the local elections held in May where the Greens won 78 seats from Labour and Conservative candidates Carla Denya said the new speakers would ‘play a pivotal role’ in takin the party’s message to voters.
Adding that this would involve putting forward “fresh thinking and bold solutions for the problems facing society and help consolidate the party’s growing reputation as the party of social, economic and environmental justice.”