Long-time Kings Langley resident Ashley Lawrence has announced he will be standing for the Green Party in the upcoming local election. Ashley, brings a wealth of local knowledge and a deep commitment to the community to the campaign.

Ashley has called Kings Langley home for nearly a decade, and his roots in the community run deep. He has long been actively involved in local affairs, having stood for election in Kings Langley on behalf of the Green Party on three previous occasions. 

Ashley’s campaign is centred around addressing the issues that matter most to the people of Kings Langley. He is committed to:

• Improving Local Services: Ensuring that essential services such as healthcare, education, and public transport are accessible and of high quality
• Community Engagement: Fostering a strong sense of community through local events and initiatives that bring people together
• Environmental Sustainability: Promoting green initiatives to protect our environment and combat climate change.

In addition to his political involvement, Ashley has a long-standing role as Head of Youth Football for Kings Langley FC as well as coaching youth teams at the club for the last eight years. His work with the club has not only helped to provide local young people with the opportunity to participate in sport, but has also instilled important values such as community spirit and giving back to the community. 

Ashley’s two children attended primary school in Kings Langley, which has given him first-hand experience of the local education system and the importance of a supportive community for families. This personal connection fuels his drive to create a better future for all residents.

Ashley’s vision for Kings Langley is one of sustainability, inclusivity, and prosperity. He believes that by working together, we can create a community that is not only environmentally conscious but also socially just. His background as a local resident and his extensive involvement in community activities make him uniquely qualified to lead this change.

Join Ashley in Making a Difference

As we approach the election, Ashley Lawrence invites all Kings Langley residents to join him in his mission to create a better future for our community. Whether it’s through volunteering, attending local events, or simply spreading the word, every action counts.

Together, we can make Kings Langley a greener, fairer, and more vibrant place to live.

Ashley Lawrence

Kings Langley Green Party Candidate

The post Introducing Ashley Lawrence: Kings Langley Green Party Candidate appeared first on Dacorum Green Party.

Election byline from Sherief Hassan, Green Party Parliamentary candidate for Hemel Hempstead

Immigration is a divisive subject that is being used as a major flag waved by different parties. It raises some questions:

Why do people migrate?

The first one is easy. Escaping conflict. Loss of security from an invading force or local tyranny. I would hope that most people would see this as something we would help with and give sanctuary.

Second, persecution due to ethnicity, faith or sexuality. Again, I would hope that compassion would trump anything else.

Thirdly, economic. There is great poverty across the world – some of it caused by climate change, which we are all responsible for. Many try to find security and a better life by migrating. Why should anyone be allowed into another nation just for money? It isn’t new. During the height of the British Empire, many British people followed their dreams to raise themselves out of poverty by migrating to occupied nations across the world. We don’t think of the spread of empire migrants as similar to today’s economic migrants but they are very similar. Many Brits still emigrate for a better life in other countries. Do we owe something to the people of other countries whose ancestors were ruled by our ancestors?

Why do they go to specific countries?

Despite the misinformation, not every migrant heads to the UK. Most go to other countries like France and Germany. Why? Again, the elephant in the room is language. Many ex-empire/colonial nations retain the occupier’s language – sometimes as their first.

English is the standard second language across the globe – Maybe due to the massive influence of the Empire. The French and Belgian empires left the French language as a reason for many to migrate to those countries.

Migrants, refugees and those that have been granted asylum only give more to their new home. Statistically, they use social services less, and often serve their communities in sectors that we need like the NHS. The economic cases of more general migrants but may be granted leave to remain because they fulfil one of the necessary criteria on economic grounds. Whilst the number of undocumented migrants – who aren’t eligible for benefits, despite what the stories say, only number 52,530 in 2023 against 1.2 million people legally migrating into the UK. 532,000 people emigrated from the UK – including a significant proportion of Brits, leaving a net migration figure of 685,000.

You think it’s bad now?

Being aware of the environmental issues, it is clear that Climate Migration is something we aren’t prepared for. The global south will experience changes so extreme that areas won’t be suitable for human life. They won’t be able to grow the out-of-season fruit and veg that we expect from them. They will do what humans have done throughout our history.

They will migrate. Where to? The global north. Where we live.

What do we do about this? We can prepare for unbelievable conflict, or we can do what we can to reduce climate change and invest in a stable world.

Birthright?

As a person with a diverse ethnicity, I have a view and possible insight into the reasons for migration. My grandfather was born in Lahore, and a British citizen of the Empire. He never held any other nationality. As a doctor, he volunteered in WW2 to tend British Soldiers in North Africa and ran arms to the Libyans during the Italian Occupation. My father, Mamoun Hassan, was born a British citizen in Jeddah. After attending a progressive secondary school in North London, surrounded and nurtured by the children of Jewish refugees from the Nazis, he became interested in the liberal arts. I am proud to say, he rose to hold senior, prominent positions in the British Film Industry, where he championed filmmakers who wanted to tell stories about British life, in all its diversity.

Where did they belong? When the family settled in England, which was never meant to be permanent, they changed their name to avoid attention during the worrying rise in fascism in the ’50s by Oswald Mosely and his Blackshirts. My family’s name was ‘Israeli’. An old name that had a direct line that showed where we came from. My ancient name reveals that we were ‘originally’ a Jewish family from the Holy Land. Is that my homeland? Some would violently disagree!

My grandmother was from Syria. The family were traders throughout the Middle East, through southern Spain, around to Turkey (thanks to a little thing called the Inquisition) and back to Syria. Are any of those places my homeland?

My mother’s father was born in Antrim – a red-haired, blue-eyed son of Ireland who came to England as a boy when the family moved to follow my great-grandfather’s work as a toolmaker in the Royal Docks in Greenwich – Starmer isn’t the only one with family toolmakers. Is Ireland my homeland? Except they were Scots-Irish. Is Scotland my homeland?

My maternal grandmother, whose father served in the Royal Artillery in WW1, was from a true British heritage – with a few Danes added for good measure! Surely not Denmark?

I was born in London. An Englishman, yet I have lived with the certain knowledge, that in many people’s eyes, I did ‘not belong’. Anywhere. How often have I heard “Go back to where you come from”? Where would that be? My homeland is England – Britain. London and in the heart of the Cotswolds, and now nearly 30 years in Hemel Hempstead. I grew up singing English folk songs and was a junior Morris man! My family’s football team is Arsenal. My father watched the cricket every summer – cheering for England in the Ashes. How English can you get? It could have been different but, by fortune or fate, this is my home.

There are many ways to be part of a nation. I believe part of it is how you treat others and accept the responsibility of what we owe, not just to ourselves but, to the world.

Thank you for your support and for taking the time to read this article.

Sherief Hassan

Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Hemel Hempstead

(Previously stood as Green Party Candidate for Hemel Hempstead in 2017 and 2019)

10th June 2024

hemel.hempstead@votegreen.uk

Promoted by Rose Sheridan on behalf of Dacorum Green Party, at PO Box 78066, London. SE16 9GQ

The Green Party policy on migration can be read here.

https://migration.greenparty.org.uk/migration-policy/

The post Immigration – a thorny subject? appeared first on Dacorum Green Party.

Election byline from Paul de Hoest, Green Party Parliamentary candidate for Harpenden & Berkhamsted

The most common position I am hearing on the doorsteps is that “we just want to get the Tories out”.  However, the two leading opposition parties in the West Herts area, Labour and LibDem, are clawing votes from each other, not on the strength of their policies, but on the spurious claim that “they are the only party that can beat the Conservative candidate” and a vote for the other lot will “risk letting the Tory back in”.

As Greens we are used to voters liking our values and policies but falling for the temptation to vote for one of the other opposition parties in the hope that this can overturn the Tory candidate.  In the former constituencies of South West Herts and Hitchen & Harpenden in recent campaigns both Labour and LibDems have beaten each other in the attempt to gather sufficient anti-Tory votes to win, and failing.

Corbyn’s Labour Party recorded their worst defeat for 60 years in 2019 whilst now the opinion polls forecast a runaway landslide Labour victory this time.  Local elections suffer from very low turnouts and different voter motivations and so are a poor guide to General Election behaviour.  In these circumstances there is no reliable basis upon which to decide which opposition party has the best chance of winning in this area in the event of a collapse in the Conservative vote.

Nevertheless, we are hearing Green minded people variously considering supporting Labour and LibDem.  However, if Green leaning voters ‘lend’ their vote equally between Labour and LibDem then little is achieved other than artificially depressing the apparent voter support for Green progressive policies.

The Green Party is the only political party with net positive voter ratings

There are many good reasons for voters to ignore the superficial appeal of tactical voting and instead to vote according to their hearts and consciences.

First, the main opposition party will be the Conservatives and so it is vital that the opposition benches also include Green Party MPs.  The Green Party is the only one that will challenge a timid Labour Government that has already committed itself to maintaining Tory economic austerity policies and watered down its Green investment programme.  The Greens are targeting four seats around the country and there is a strong chance that some, or all, of these will be successful.  The Green MP’s parliamentary challenge to Labour will be vastly strengthened the more voters around the country they can speak for.  If the Green national share of the vote is only 5% then their impact would be much less than if the Green national vote share is 15%.

Second, the media take notice of national shares of the vote when allocating airtime to issues and spokespeople. If the Green vote is artificially depressed across the country, then there will be less Green views expressed everywhere in the media.  Given the terrible ecological, climate, poverty and public services crises in this country it is vital that we maximise the media time given to discussing these issues and expressing Green views in all media outlets.

Thirdly, the successful parliamentary candidate represents all members of their constituency, not just their own voters. MPs are aware of how many votes the other parties receive in an election and will often adapt their positions according their perception of voter opinion. Even if the Green candidate does not win, a strong Green vote share will make MPs of all colours more likely to consider Green issues during their own parliamentary deliberations.  We do often hear MPs supporting their own constituents even if this means sometimes going against their own party line?

Fourth, there is also a financial incentive.  Opposition parties receive what is known as “short money” named after Ted Short, a Labour Minister in the Harold Wilson Government of 1974. These are funds provided to opposition parties to help fund their activities (such as research into policy issues) in order to be an effective opposition.  The amount of funding is primarily determined by the total number of votes cast for each opposition party in the most recent election.  A 5% share of the vote would generate approximately £400,000 whereas a 15% share of the vote would increase this Short money to £1.2m.  This could make a massive difference to the effectiveness of Green opposition challenges.  In every individual seat, candidates require at least 5% share of the vote in order to retain their £500 deposit. If Green voters refrain from voting Green so that the vote share drops below 5% then this could cost up to £300,000 to party funds. The Greens are not funded by wealthy corporate, or Trades Union sponsors: almost all of our funds come from individual members, friends and family.

For decades the Green vote has been artificially suppressed and the result is that western governments have done too little too late to address the climate and ecological crises: we have already surpassed 1.5 degree warming, our waters are full of sewage, wildlife has been decimated and our crops are failing.  If your conviction is that it is high time that this country had a more powerful Green voice in politics then I urge you to go with that conviction and Vote Green in this General Election.

Thank you for your support and for taking the time to read this article.

Paul de Hoest

Green Party Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Harpenden & Berkhamsted

(Previously stood as Green Party Candidate for South West Hertfordshire, a seat that has been altered by the boundary commission to create the new seat of Harpenden and Berkhamsted)

3rd June 2024

paul.de-hoest@votegreen.uk

Promoted by Rose Sheridan on behalf of Dacorum Green Party, at PO Box 78066, London. SE16 9GQ

The post Tactical Voting? Vote with conviction in 2024 appeared first on Dacorum Green Party.

Paul de Hoest and Sherief Hassan return as the prospective parliamentary candidates for the constituencies of Berkhamsted & Harpenden and Hemel Hempstead respectively.

Paul has served as a Town Councillor in Berkhamsted and from his time in the Bank of England, he has a keen understanding of the economy, business and the way that a green future can, and must, be the way forward for us all.

Sherief’s on the ground work in the constituency has included his committee work with the Boxmoor Trust, and well as being a Trustee of the Halsey Field Nature Site, Committee of the Dacorum Environmental Forum.

Both have run in previous general elections and have been active in campaigning across the borough.

The post Dacorum Green Parliamentary Candidates appeared first on Dacorum Green Party.

Dacorum Greens continue to build a presence on local councils in Hertfordshire with the election of two new councillors in Berkhamsted on 4th May 2023. 

Leslie Tate (left), former teacher, now a climate activist and author was elected in Berkhamsted Castle and Kevin Fielding (right), a local science teacher took a seat in Berkhamsted East. 

Kevin and Leslie’s success is part of a bigger story. The Green party started the day with 537 councillors UK wide and now have 737.  This is the largest number of councillors the Green Party have ever held.

The Green Party has seen a net gain of 200 seats, 13 local councils have had breakthroughs, and now we’re the largest party in these councils across the country: Bristol, East Suffolk, Mid Suffolk, East Hertfordshire, Babergh, Lewes, Folkestone and Hythe, Stroud, Forest of Dean and Warwick. And in Mid Suffolk not only are we the largest party, but we’re the first Green majority led council.

In Hertfordshire, Greens are making strides.  The Green Party became the largest on East Herts District Council. The Greens had two seats on the authority before the local elections, which took place on Thursday, May 4. But the party now has 19 seats, more than the Conservative previous incumbents, who have 16.

The post Election wins on Berkhamsted Town Council appeared first on Dacorum Green Party.

Kevin Fielding – Dacorum Green Party candidate for Berkhamsted West

Dacorum Green Party are fielding candidates in the upcoming by-elections in Berkhamsted West and Hemel Hempstead – Boxmoor.

Kevin Fielding is standing in Berkhamsted West.

I first moved to Berkhamsted in 1999, have raised my family here, and care deeply about this community and its surrounding environment. I have also worked locally as a Science Teacher and Laboratory Technician at Ashlyns School and been involved in many social and sporting activities, such as regular attendance with my son at the Sunnyside Rural Trust, and being an active member of the local golf, orienteering and running clubs.

I care passionately that residents’ views are heard, respected and acted upon by local decision makers. I promise to bring new energy, and an independent voice to council meetings. Decisions made by councillors affect our local environment and community. However, the wishes and interests of the town and its residents were ignored in some past decisions. I will fight against any further attempts to damage our town and its surroundings and actively support any scheme that promotes a cleaner, happier, and more prosperous future for us. I promise to listen to your views, and I will bring them to bear at council meetings.

With your vote, I can win here, and enhance your voice in the decisions that will affect how Berkhamsted will develop in the coming years. Residents in Berkhamsted have already recently voted in two Green town councillors, so let’s get your voice heard at Dacorum Borough Council too.

Postal voting cards are being sent on 20th January, so this is your chance to vote for Kevin.

The post Dacorum Greens, Kevin Fielding standing in the By-Election for Berkhamsted West. appeared first on Dacorum Green Party.

Sherief says,

He speaks about his commitment to public transport here:

Sherief Hassan, Our county council candidate for Hemel Hempstead NW, has made a series of short videos that look at issues that affect us all, and his view for the future.Posted by Dacorum Green Party (UK) on Sunday, 2 May 2021

Vote for Sherief Hassan for Hemel Hempstead North West on 6th May

The post Sherief Hassan speaks out on Public Transport in Hemel NW appeared first on Dacorum Green Party.

Joe is an active campaigner and, aside from his efforts in reducing air pollution next to a school in Tring, he set up Plastic Free Tring – an initiative that supports local businesses and reduces plastic waste.

The post Joe Stopps sets out his priorities for Tring appeared first on Dacorum Green Party.

Sherief was selected as candidate at a joint meeting of Dacorum Green Party and Three Rivers Green Party.

Sherief has lived and worked in Hemel Hempstead for over 20 years where both of his children were born in Hemel Hospital. As well as working self-employed as a media consultant, Sherief volunteers with Radio Dacorum as a presenter, is on the committee of the Friends of Halsey Field Local Wildlife group, and acts as Child Protection Officer for the Boxmoor Playhouse where he has been a member since 2012.

Sherief has been campaigning for the Green Party in Dacorum for several years and given a commitment to never stop fighting for a clean future for the generations to come.

He said, “Hemel Hempstead is in desperate need of reliable trains and buses – and the situation is getting worse. If our rapidly growing town is to be sustainable, we have to fix this long-term problem now!”

Sherief stated, “This election is being called for one reason: Brexit, a subject of vital concern to us all. However, for Greens the real challenge is the Climate Emergency. As a Green MP I will fight for the right of the British voting public to approve the Brexit withdrawal agreement through a People’s Vote. I believe that the bonfire of regulations and safeguards that are proposed can only harm our fragile environment and continue our failure to meet our much-needed targets.

“We are witnessing a very worrying decline in our environment, oceans, and air quality. We desperately need a Green New Deal to address climate chaos, prioritise renewables and public transport and to deliver a better way of life. Our planet needs people in power who recognise that we are living in a climate emergency and are dedicated to taking action.”

The post Meet Sherief Hassan – the Green Parliamentary Candidate for Hemel Hempstead appeared first on Dacorum Green Party.

Tom Pashby was selected as the Green Candidate for South West Herts at a joint meeting of Three Rivers Green Party and Dacorum Green Party.

Tom Pashby grew up in Croxley Green and went to Rickmansworth school. Tom studied environmental science at university and has since worked and volunteered in sustainable energy and climate-focused policy and communications.

Tom said:

“I’m asking for your vote, as the Green Party candidate, because we need to take urgent action on the climate crisis. The international climate science community is clear – time is running out. Greens are the only party really committed to delivering a prosperous future.”

The post Meet Tom Pashby – Green candidate for South West Hertfordshire appeared first on Dacorum Green Party.