Greens select Greenbaum to challenge for Westbourne seat

The Green Party in Brighton and Hove have pinned their hopes of winning the Westbourne by-election on local mother Louisa Westbourne.

The 41-year-old stood in the Hove ward in May, but missed out when Tory candidates Denise Cobb and Brian Oxley were re-elected in the ward.

However, earlier this month Oxley surprisingly stepped down from the seat he had held since the formation of Brighton and Hove City Council some 15 years ago, triggering a by-election.

Greenbaum, of Westbourne Street, is a mother of two and works as a sustainable events organisers and is also a national conference organiser for the Green Party.

Her party’s leader Caroline Lucas has tipped for to be a ‘tremendous asset to Westbourne’, but she will be challenged for the seat by Labour’s Nigel Jenner and the Conservatives candidate is Graham Cox.

Caroline Lucas MP said: “I’ve known Louisa for a while and, as a councillor, she would be a tremendous asset to Westbourne.

“She’s very much part of her local community, she gets stuck into many activities and campaigns – such as the successful campaign to prevent pole dancing at an inappropriate location such as The Portland and she’s very hard-working.

“She would be one of those councillors who would be tireless and hands-on in supporting and championing her community.”

Louisa, who finished fourth in the Westbourne local election in May, added: “It feels tremendous to be part of this Green transformation in Brighton & Hove.

“Last year we saw the election of the UK’s first Green MP, Caroline Lucas, and then in May our city chose to have the country’s first ever Green Council.

“If I’m elected next month, I will feel part of something special.”

If elected in the by-election on 22nd December she has pledged to help fight to expand West Hove’s existing infant and junior schools which are facing the ever-increasing problem of excessive demand for places.

She explained: “Hove is affected by a rise in the number of pupils entering primary school at the moment, which will go on to affect our secondary schools in years to come.

“I know all about it as my youngest daughter is part of that intake.

“It’s a crucial problem that the Green-led council inherited when it came to power in May.

“While the demand is at primary level, the answer has to be in expanding Hove’s excellent and fiercely sought-after infants and juniors, as there’s no money to build a new primary school.

“New schools are funded by central government, not local councils, and Brighton & Hove is not being given that money.

“Indeed, as everyone knows, central government funding is being axed all over the place and councils are having to deal with the consequences.

“However, we do have enough money to expand existing schools.”

She added: “Being both a parent and a Councillor with the party in power would give me a tremendous advantage in knowing at first hand what needs to be done and then making sure it gets done, with the children and parents at the heart of any decisions.”

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Posted by Joseph Lewis on November 27, 2011. Filed under Featured,Hove,Westbourne. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry