In the United Kingdom, major parties often find it difficult to field a full list of candidates for all council seats up for election and ask people to stand as paper candidates so that:

• Supporters have an opportunity to vote for the party
• The total vote obtained across the council and the nation is maximised
• All seats are contested so there is no risk that candidates from other parties can be declared elected unopposed

In Britain, being nominated as a local election candidate simply involves signing some forms, with no deposit required. A paper candidate will often do no campaigning at all and so be able to submit a zero return of election expenses, simplifying the paperwork for the election agent. Paper candidates are commonly fielded in different locations by all the major parties in both local and national elections.

Some paper candidates stand in order to help their party but do not wish to be elected to the post in question. In fact, some only agree to stand after receiving assurances that there is no “risk” of them getting elected.

Some interesting points:

Following the Scottish National Party‘s landslide in Scotland in the 2015 general election, when they went from 6 to 56 seats (out of 59 Scottish seats), it was reported that some candidates were so surprised at winning they considered resigning immediately after the election. 

In the 2019 general election, some Conservative candidates were selected just weeks prior to the election and won seats in the Labour “red wall” in northern England and Wales, which were previously considered unwinnable by the party.

One main disadvantage to fielding paper candidates in an electoral system like the UK’s is that unsavoury details about one candidate’s past tend to be more damaging to a party’s image across the country, no matter what that candidate’s chances of election actually are. Therefore, paper candidates for major parties in Britain are almost as heavily vetted as candidates who are expected to win their seats.

If you have any questions or would like to be a paper candidate for us, then please email southnorfolkgreen@gmail.com

The post Our guide to being a ‘paper’ candidate appeared first on South Norfolk Green Party.

“We are a group of volunteers who meet every few weeks to plan and carry out environmental and sustainable projects in our town, promote re-cycling activities and raise greater awareness of environmental issues.

We have a central group who act as a committee organising for our activities, managing our funds and planning future activities. Whereupon we then share this with a wider community of interested people who might then join our specific activities.”

https://www.greeningwymondham.org

https://www.facebook.com/Greening-Wymondham

The post Greening Wymondham appeared first on South Norfolk Green Party.

Now the NCC has decided that the road must link up with the A47. They are to build a 4 mile extension across the Wensum Valley at a proposed ‘bargain cost’ of £153M. In the process, the River Valley, including ancient woodlands are to be swept away.

This road despite being claimed to be of world-class design and construction is, some feel, basically a racetrack with inadequate or confusing signage. Within weeks of opening there were reports in the press and videos shared from in car cameras of near misses and drivers unsure of which lane to use. There has even been a report that stated one police squad car actually ended up on top of a roundabout as the roundabout was not lit.

Again the economic growth argument is being recirculated. It is trumpeted that it will take 10 minutes off the current journey time for all those office workers who work within central Norwich. It is difficult to argue for or against this without specific individual journeys being tested and in the current climate of C19 our travel patterns are much reduced.

The proposed cost includes a 720 meter raised viaduct across the valley hence the £153M price tag. As costs potentially rise over time it is worth asking the question of where the money, and possible shortfalls, will come from. Jenn Parkhouse, chairwoman of the Wensum Valley Alliance, described the public consultation as “flawed”.

This road is supported by the Conservative administration. South Norfolk Liberal Democrat candidates for the NCC elections next year have come out in support of this road as well. We, the Green Party, are the only party opposing this, the environmental impact and the increased pollution from traffic in that area. We of course will remind you that to protect your environment the only option is to support the Green Party.

“To connect these routes would have an enormous environmental impact on the area’s wildlife and run-off would damage the quality of the river – quite apart from the air pollution.” – Jenn Parkhouse.

The post Wensum road link appeared first on South Norfolk Green Party.