Local Elections
Over the past few months, we have brought you updates on the Young Green campaigns being run across England and Wales ahead of May’s local elections.
We are delighted to report that the Young Greens joined the Green Party in celebrating excellent results at the start of the month. There are now 28 Young Greens in council seats, including 9 of our 12 target candidates, who were elected following tireless campaigns.
The Executive Committee extends our congratulations to every Young Green who worked for these results, whether they stood as a candidate or took part as a campaigner.
It is vital that young, progressive values are represented on the doorstep and in council chambers. We recorded a spike in our membership numbers following these elections, showing the appetite for young people engaging in politics on a local level.
The gravity of the Green Party’s results was notably recognised by the New Statesman, who cited the youth appeal of the party as an important factor behind this month’s ‘green surge’ at the polls.
Young Greens Convention and Exec Elections
Young Greens Convention is our biggest event of the year, and we are excited to announce it will be taking place between 9 and 10 July in 2022!
Convention is currently under construction, and we will be sharing the location imminently; all updates can be found on our social media and website.
We hope as many Young Greens as possible will join us either in-person or online, to meet fellow members, debate policy, and elect a new Committee.
There are over 20 Executive Committee positions up for election. Nominations are open now and members can put themselves forward until Saturday 11 June.
Hustings will be held on the first day of Convention, followed by an announcement of the new Executive Committee on the second day.
A full list of roles can be found on the Convention website. Running the Young Greens is a diverse and rewarding experience, and all members keen to contribute their time and skills should apply!
Local and Global News
We once again extend our deepest appreciation to all of our local group organisers and members for their hard work in producing the record local elections results this year.
Many Young Green groups celebrated Greens entering their council for the first time or shifting the balance of power on Councils where it has been stagnant for decades.
Whilst under 18s in Scotland and Wales were able to cast a vote, England and Northern Ireland remain behind. Votes at 16 is a key Green Party policy and the Under 18s Greens wrote a powerful statement arguing for the inclusion of 16 and 17-year-old voters, which can be read in full here.
The Cambridge Young Greens supported member Dan Kittmer in representing the party in a prestigious Cambridge Union Debate this month. Our university groups do vital work representing Green politics in student spaces and numbers continue to grow.
In international news, the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG) held its General Assembly in Karlsruhe. Young Greens International Officer Raphael Hill attended as a delegate with Alex Nettle. Motions on solidarity with Ukraine and defence in Europe were passed, and a new FYEG committee was elected.
We hope you enjoyed reading what Young Greens have been working on in May. If you are a Young Green who would like to get more involved in the workings of the group, make sure to put yourself forward for one of our committee roles!
