We are your local Green Party candidates in the County Council and General Elections on Thursday 5th May. We are writing to give you some information about our policies and campaigns before you vote in the elections.

Across the Norwich South Parliamentary constituency, the Green Party holds five City Council seats - the same number as Labour and five more than the Conservatives! We are mounting a strong campaign for the General Election in Norwich South because we urgently need a strong Green voice at Westminster to fight for social justice and environmental sustainability at a national level. Only Green MPs would fight for urgent action on climate change, resist privatisation in our public services and oppose any further pre-emptive strikes by Bush and Blair. Only Green MPs would protect local producers and the environment by reducing the importation of foods that can be grown locally.

Green Councillors are making an impact at City Hall. They have secured funding for improvements to the city's recycling scheme and for more staff time to be spent on improving provision for cyclists. Norwich has become a Fair Trade city as a result of a Green Party motion to Council, while the Greens have successfully lobbied for the council tax discount on empty properties to be abolished so owners have an incentive not to neglect them.

Green Councillors are also campaigning for higher levels of affordable housing and renewable energy in new developments and they believe that council housing should be protected from privatisation.

Following last year's City Council election success, the Greens have a real chance of winning County Council seats. Amongst other things, Green County Councillors would push for:

fresh, local and organic food in school meals;

ethical investment of the council's pension funds (to avoid arms companies, for example);

protection of school playing fields and other green spaces from development; and

extra funding for public transport and pedestrian crossings.

If you have any questions for us, or issues for us to investigate, please do get in touch.

Best wishes,