Popular Newtown and St Leonard’s ward councillor, Jemima Moore, has thrown her support behind Green candidates in her area. The independent councillor, who is part of the Progressive Group of councillors on Exeter City Council [1], is supporting Green Party candidates Dan Grey and Andrew Bell in the local elections on May 6th.
Councillor Jemima Moore said:
“I’ve loved working closely with Green Councillor Diana Moore, the excellent, hard-working and incredibly dedicated councillor in neighbouring St David’s ward. This year St Leonard’s can elect two more brilliant and independently minded Green councillors. Two strong voices, willing to work constructively with myself and Liberal Democrat councillors, while challenging our one-party dominated councils. This will be good for Exeter’s democracy, with more diverse councils having better scrutiny and therefore better decision making. Like myself, Green Party Councillors are never told how to vote, so are free to vote in the best interests of their constituents.”
Canvassing data suggests the Newtown and St Leonard’s ward is a two-horse race between the Greens and Labour. Green Party City Council candidate, Dan Grey, said:
“We’ve received a very warm reception on the doorstep. This is clearly going to be a close race between Greens and Labour. What we’re hearing is that people welcome the prospect of fresh voices and new ideas on the Council. They also want to see the decisions made by the Labour-led Council properly scrutinised. With the Conservatives providing ineffectual opposition, only the Progressive Group are holding Labour to account.”
Andrew Bell, who is Green County Council candidate for St David’s and Haven Banks, which includes St Leonard’s, said:
“People in St David’s and Newtown and St Leonard’s wards have seen how hard Green and Independent councillors work, all year round. This year, residents in Newtown and St Leonard’s have an opportunity to give the ward a hard-working team of Green and Independent voices, and to be represented by councillors who put the area and its residents first.”
Notes
[1] The Progressive Group was formed after the 2019 Exeter City Council elections and is currently made up of Cllr Kevin Mitchell (Duryard and St James, Liberal Democrat), Cllr Michael Mitchell (Duryard and St James, Liberal Democrat), Cllr Diana Moore (St David’s, Green Party) and Cllr Jemima Moore (Newtown and St Leonard’s, Independent). The Green Party and Liberal Democrats have agreed and electoral arrangement to field candidates uncontested in six wards. Greens will field candidates uncontested by a Liberal Democrat candidate in St David’s, Heavitree and Newtown and St Leonards wards. The Liberal Democrats will field candidates uncontested by the Green Party in Duryard and St James, Pennsylvania, and St Thomas wards. See: https://exeter.greenparty.org.uk/news/2021/03/08/greens-and-lib-dems-electoral-arrangement-2021/