The Greens appear to have been first out of the blocks with a by-election pending in a council ward in Hove.
Party members were out leafleting in Goldsmid ward after the former mayor of Brighton and Hove, Jackie O’Quinn, announced her resignation.
Councillor O’Quinn was first elected in 2015 and held the seat at three successive elections, making her one of the longest-serving members of Brighton and Hove City Council.
But in February, she resigned from Labour and sat as an Independent – and yesterday (Friday 1 May) she said that she would be stepping down from her role as a councillor.
The last time a by-election was held in Goldsmid ward, in July 2009, the seat was won by Green candidate Alex Phillips who was 23 years old at the time.
Ten years later she became the youngest ever mayor of Brighton and Hove before stepping down as a councillor at the last local elections in 2023 after 14 years.
Her by-election win helped build the momentum that led the party to victory at the next local elections in 2011 when Brighton and Hove become the first green-run council in the country.
Last night, the Brighton and Hove Green Party said that it was aiming to win the Goldsmid by-election – whenever it is held, adding: “We will be selecting our candidate imminently.
“We are hitting the ground running, with our first canvassing session of the campaign taking place this evening.
“Following the overwhelming Green victory in Queen’s Park – the city’s most recent by-election – with a huge swing from Labour, we’re going into Goldsmid with real momentum behind us.
“What we’ve been hearing from residents across the city is that they feel betrayed by a Labour government that has consistently failed to offer the principled leadership this moment demands.
“After years of disappointment from Labour, both locally and nationally, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: people in Brighton and Hove – and across the country – are crying out for change.
“More and more people are turning to the Green Party because they want politicians who won’t shy away from confronting the crises facing the country and back real solutions – like taxing extreme wealth fairly to fund public services and tackle the inequality crisis.
“Across the city, Green councillors are working tirelessly for local people, standing up for local people and delivering real action on the issues that matter most.
“Residents in Goldsmid deserve a councillor who will stand up to Starmer’s Labour and will fight for residents every single day.
“We’ll have more to say soon about our candidate and campaign but one thing is certain: we’re going into this election ready to win.”
i360. You can never trust the greens to look after our city. Last time they cost us £50m.
Labour are not great nationally but miles better locally.
Zack Polanski is clearly a whack job.
The Greens are fruitcakes
Gang of loonies escape the asylum!
Locally, Cllr Marina, of Queens Park, led on protest actions, which got multiple vulnerably housed people evicted from their homes in Brighton. This do first, think later approach is exactly what caused many of the issues in Brighton we are still dealing with today.
By Baron Homes? Who are an awful organisation, I also had a meeting with mums from temporary accomodation, with Bella Sankey Labour Leader and A senior Council Officer Housing Harry Williams, in that meeting someone who was a baron homes tenant, who stayed a mums for a few days as was pregnant and had
A young baby also. And the place was full of mould and damp.
The young person, actually told Bella and Harry she was having a couple of days break, anyway why she went back. The whole flat had been cleared, it caused the tenant who has CPTSD significant stress. I’d not heard a cry like that before, they had not told her for 24 hours and it was left in a communal utility cupboard.
These were mums with children living with Autism. We were shocked someone from the council contacted baron homes after a confidential meeting and was only one officer in the room, and said the person abandoned her property, even though there were 6 witnesses in that meeting to prove not.
So your point whilst maybe right, but actually council officers and these landlords are two cheeks of the same backside, and in some cases these officers are worse.
All true. With the leader in the room, was shocked. I think she was too tbh, but she got a lesson that day by officers, but we have all the evidence to prove this. Coming soon!
I don’t believe they even think later! They certainly have not thought about the Muslim vote piggy backing on their party!
Or maybe they have, any votes will do to assume power but then they will have problems especially with the LBGT stuff of which most muslim’s really don’t dig!
Can’t see Goldsmid Ward’s large Jewish population having much time for the Green Party.
Something’s gone very wrong for Brighton & Hove Labour. This is the 7th by-election since the 2023 council elections, all caused by resignations of councillors who had been elected as Labour. All costing the people of Brighton & Hove a lot of money. We deserve better!