New Green Party candidate selected for Devizes constituency

Mark Fletcher the Green Party’s candidate for the Devizes constituency has had to stand down “for personal reasons”.

In his place Kennet and North Wiltshire Green Party has selected Emma Dawnay to be the constituency’s candidate for May’s General Election.

Emma Dawnay is a political economist who has had her home base in Wiltshire since she was five. She went to school in Wiltshire before gaining a PhD in Materials Science at Cambridge University and going on to do an executive MBA at the London Business School. In 2005 she joined the New Economics Foundation, where she wrote an influential report on Behavioural Economics.
 
Emma Dawnay says: “The Green Party has the only economic policy that makes sense – both for people and the planet. I see getting the economy on the right path as a priority, and I will campaign vigorously against austerity and cuts to local services, and for a better safety net for the most vulnerable in society.”
 
“This is a wonderful part of the world, and I feel very privileged to live here. I’ve always thought of our area as relatively affluent, but I have been shocked to discover that families in Marlborough and Devizes are relying on food banks to feed their families. That shouldn’t – and doesn’t need to be – the case.”
 
“I will campaign for greater local power over decision-making and over how our taxes are spent.  We need large-scale green investment in low-carbon technologies. There is great expertise in this constituency, and we need to harness it for the benefit of the people who live here.”

The Green Party has also had to select a new candidate for the Chippenham constituency.  The previous candidates for Chippenham and Devizes, husband and wife Samantha and Mark Fletcher, had to stand down when Mark was posted abroad for six months.

At the election the Green Party will be fielding candidates in every constituency in Wiltshire.