The Green Party has chosen the team to lead its group of councillors on Brighton and Hove City Council for the coming year.
Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty has been re-elected unopposed as the convenor – or leader – of the Green group. He previously served as a deputy.
This is his second year in the post and follows a vote by local Green Party members.
Deputy convenor roles were also voted on, with councillors Alex Phillips and Lizzie Deane elected unopposed in a job share arrangement for deputy convenor (external relations). Councillor Phillips was elected to this post for the second year running.
Councillors Amanda Knight and Louisa Greenbaum were elected unopposed in a job share for deputy convenor (internal relations).
The Green group of councillors currently holds 11 out of 54 seats on the council, the third largest party in the city.
Councillors Phillips and Deane have been Green councillors since 2009 and 2010 respectively, while Councillors Knight and Greenbaum were both elected as Green councillors for the first time in Goldsmid and St Peter’s and North Laine wards last year.
Councillor Mac Cafferty said: “I am thrilled to have been re-elected as convenor with a united group of Green councillors.
“I would like to extend my sincere thanks to local party members for placing their continued support in me.
“As convenor our first priority is to continue the hard work for our residents.
“As the only political group consistently opposed to austerity and cuts to public services, our group has a key role to play in holding the Labour council administration to account.”
Councillor Alex Phillips said: “The Greens remain a powerful voice in Brighton and Hove and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work together with Councillor Deane to strengthen that voice and ensure we have more time and resources to get out there and engage with the city’s residents.
“People are desperate for an end to the doom and gloom of austerity politics – and Greens can provide the alternative.”
Councillor Amanda Knight said: “My first year as a local councillor has taken some getting used to but it has been fantastic to be a part of such a supportive and welcoming team and to have the opportunity to make a difference to the lives of residents.
“As internal deputy convenors, Louisa and I will support the group to go from strength to strength and be the most effective group we can be.”
If only the greens could concentrate on how to provide services to the residents and businesses of the city in an efficient and economical, environmentally beneficial way rather than, as in this piece of publicity material, continuing to think they are a major political party who can actually make a change to ‘austerity politics’.
It was this righteous attitude, when they were the largest party, and they imposed all their ‘pet’ activist policies on the city, that they ended up with them now being the smallest party on the council and having to resort to just ‘causing trouble’ rather than coming up with any seriously sensible suggestions.