Charlotte George, the prospective parliamentary candidate for Hackney South and Shoreditch. Pic: Green Party
Membership of the Hackney Green Party has increased by almost 100 per cent this year.
In January, Hackney Greens had 194 members; the latest figure is 380. The numbers were released along with the announcement of Green party candidates for Hackney.
Charlotte George will be campaigning for Hackney South and Shoreditch seat whilst Hackney North and Stoke Newington will be contested by Heather Finlay.
Charlotte George told ELL: “The increase in support for the Greens in Hackney is an exciting development, especially in the lead up to the General Election.”
“We are thrilled that so many Hackney residents have decided that we can change politics in this country for the better and are joining us on our quest to make Britain a more equitable, welcoming and green place to live.”
The new figures for Hackney Greens correlate with the surge in London and national membership. The Green party of England and Wales has seen its membership double this year, reaching over 27,000 people. This polls the party at its highest level ahead of a General Election since 1989. The London Green Party has also seen its membership double, reaching over 5000 members.
The London Green Party co-chair, Tom Chance, who will also be standing as a parliamentary candidate for Lewisham West and Penge, said on the rise in membership: “This is a landmark for the London party. It’s a clear sign that people are becoming increasingly tired and disillusioned by the politics of business-as-usual and are looking for a new, credible, distinctive voice.”
The Green Party’s rise in members is particularly significant after the announcement that UKIP would be represented in the televised debates between party leaders. The Greens will not be involved, despite electing an MP prior to UKIP obtaining one. The BBC invited Nigel Farage to join David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg in the debate running up to the 2015 general election, giving UKIP status as one of the four main parties.
The BBC rejected the Green’s call for representation, stating that, unlike UKIP, the Greens had not demonstrated “any comparable increase in support in either elections or opinion polls.”
