Our Target Wards & Candidates for 2022

As you may know, part of our electoral strategy, (along with all other local Green Parties), is to focus our election-winning efforts on a limited number of wards in the city. This year, we are working to win in five wards - a huge increase in fighting just one ward in 2019!

A big thank you to all the members who voted in our all-member ballot for target candidate selection. The new Executive is delighted to confirm the results:

St David's: Edred Wittingham
Newtown and St Leonards: Andy Ketchin
Heavitree: Catherine Rees
Pennsylvania: Jack Vickers
Mincinglake and Whipton: Alex Holman

Want to see Green Councillors Elected in May 2022?

The ward campaigns have been in full swing since September and work intensifies the closer we get to May.

If you can spare just an hour a month to assist our election efforts, we have tasks to suit all levels of ability and interest. Please contact volunteers@exeter.greenparty.org.uk

More information on other city council wards to follow soon. If you are interested in standing as a 'paper candidate' - meaning standing in a ward where we are unlikely to win, but still giving people a chance to vote Green, please email volunteers@exeter.greenparty.org.uk to express your interest.

A new Exeter Green Party Constitution

At the December AGM, members debated, amended and approved a new constitution for the local party. This constitution aims to streamline local decision-making and to support our efforts to win more council seats this May. The new constitution replaces the previous committee structure with 3 elected officers. These officers will now hold responsibility for all local operational decisions until the next AGM.

You can download the new constitution and draft AGM minutes as pdf at the links below:

Exeter Green Party AGM 13 Dec 2021 Minutes // bit.ly/3eWa8GW

Exeter Green Party Constitution as of 13 Dec 2021 // bit.ly/3q3Q7EW

Crucially, strategic decisions will remain subject to all-member ballots and members also have the right to 'call-in' decisions taken by our new officers.

The Executive has provisionally set the dates for key 2022 Members meetings, please save the dates. Locations and/or joining instructions will be shared ahead of all members meetings however if you wish to attend an Executive Committee meeting please notify us via  hello@exeter.greenparty.org.uk

Note that because this year’s AGM was subject to extreme delay, we will be holding our 2022 AGM in July, to get our cycle back on track.

Dates for your Diary

Donations & fundraising

Working in five target wards means we need to raise more money.

Last year, we raised very useful money from individual donations from members. We are so grateful for this support and our New Year ask is to beat that total in 2022.

You can support our campaigning work by setting up a Standing Order or by Direct Debit. If you can commit to a small regular donation, this is the most useful form of support.

If you prefer a Standing Order, you can use this form (link to pdf - print out, complete, sign and return to the address on the form) or you can set it up yourself through your online banking (but if you do this, it is vital that you let our treasurer know by emailing treasurer@exeter.greenparty.org.uk with the details as we need to attribute all donations).

If you prefer to set up a Direct Debit, then follow this link. NB we are charged a small fee for Direct Debits  :exeter.greenparty.org.uk/donate.  

Donate to Exeter Green Party

Calling anyone with fundraising skills

If you have any experience of fundraising in the not-for-profit or charity sector, we would love to hear from you.

Enjoy Your Greens [heading Mikey]

Here's some of what your two Green Councillors, Diana Moore and Amy Sparling have been doing.

As the COP26 Climate Conference took place in Glasgow, Diana and Amy demanded a clear demonstration that Exeter is on track to achieving its 2030 Net Zero carbon emissions goal. As a result, in December, the Council backed their call for a city wide ‘carbon budget’ which will show a “baseline position for the city and the implications for carbon emissions in pursuing proposals set out in the Net Zero Plan.”

In response to a consultation on the new Local Plan they called for future developments to be properly based on ‘Garden City Principles’ including genuinely affordable housing, improvements to the natural environment, increasing biodiversity, and having strong cultural, recreational and shopping facilities within walking distance.

Amy Sparling used Small Business Saturday to call on Exeter City Council to support small and independent businesses and social enterprises green their operations, improve employee welfare and make it easier for people to ‘shop local.’

In their St David’s ward, Amy and Diana were joined by a team of residents to survey those living immediately around historic Bartholemew cemetery to find out views on tackling anti-social behaviour and improving nature in the site. The survey revealed that many residents value the cemetery as a ‘wild place’, but that ongoing planned maintenance is needed to help it thrive and address ASB.

Peaceful protest has a long and proud history in Exeter and continues to flourish. But the Tory government’s draconian Police Bill threatens the right to protest. Diana and Amy have written to both Ben Bradshaw and Council Leader Phil Bialyk urging them to voice opposition to the legislation and press Labour peers to vote against the Bill in the Lords, which would block it. [Mikey, Andrew might have a link to this soon]