Vix shares this latest news from the Isle of Wight Green party. Ed

The 2015 Green Party Parliamentary Candidate, Vix Lowthion, has been reselected to challenge Andrew Turner for the Isle of Wight constituency in the next General Election. In an Island-wide ballot of Green Party members, Miss Lowthion was supported unanimously.

Vix, 40, a teacher of Geology and History at the Island Innovation VI Form in Newport, joined the Green Party in 2014. For the past year she has been national spokesperson for the Greens on education. Vix called for OFSTED chair David Hoare to resign after he described the Isle of Wight as a ‘ghetto’ – which he duly did, a week later.

Vix Lowthion said,

“I am honoured to have been trusted again to fight for the Isle of Wight seat at the next Westminster election. The Island deserves an MP from a party that understands tackling our climate crisis is at the core of transforming our society so that it works for the common good. “The Island could show the world how green tourism, energy technologies and good local food can provide jobs and a better quality of life in our community. Yet there is much work to be done to tackle poverty, wider opportunities and employment for all Islanders. Government cuts to our local services need to be challenged and overcome with urgency.” “Caroline Lucas has clearly shown what a Green MP can achieve: bringing bills in Parliament to support our NHS and railways, and fighting against fracking and for renewable energy. But imagine what we could do with more Greens in the House of Commons. The country needs greater Green representation – and the Isle of Wight is the place to make this happen.”

Up against the Tories

Caroline Lucas, Green MP, said, when pushed by Ian Austin Labour MP on Radio 4 PM programme on 2.12.16:

IA – “Can Caroline Lucas name me a single seat where Greens have got more chance at beating the Tories than we [Labour] have?”

CL – “Yes. I can. The Isle of Wight. Where the Tories came first, UKIP were second but the Greens are third so they are the party which is best placed there to bring the progressive vote together.”

IW Greens grown in strength

Chair of the IW Greens, Daniel James, said,

“The Green Party on the Island has grown in strength in the last two years, and this selection shows how motivated and organised we are to win a Green MP here. “We have brought the process forward ahead of a possible snap election, and are confident of unifying Islanders’ opposition to this government behind a very popular candidate.”

Gains expected in County elections

IW Green Party election agent, Jean Bartrum, said,

“As the newly appointed election agent to the Isle of Wight Green Party I am thrilled that we have such a worthy candidate in Vix Lowthion to represent us in Parliament as our new MP. “I am also looking forward to the County elections in May 2017 where we hope to make substantial gains for the Greens.”

The Green Party on the Island came third in the 2015 General Election, behind Conservative and UKIP candidates, with 9,404 votes (13.4%) and the third highest total number of Green votes in the whole country, after Brighton Pavilion and Bristol West.