The Green party has announced Sarah Wakefield as its new candidate in the Makerfield byelection, following the withdrawal of the previous candidate. Wakefield, a Manchester city councillor, expressed pride in representing the Greens and called on voters to choose hope over anger.
New Candidate for Makerfield
Wakefield, 38, is a charity director currently on maternity leave and mother of two young children. She serves as a councillor for Deansgate in central Manchester and has a background in retail with a focus on sustainable food. She is also a trustee of a community organisation, according to the party.
In her statement, Wakefield emphasised the importance of giving voters a choice in a democracy. "Together we can bring back the hope that politics can create a better life for ourselves and our children. This is what the Green party represents," she said. She highlighted the party's recent success in the Gorton and Denton byelection, where they defeated Reform UK, and urged voters: "Don't vote in anger, vote in hope."
Party Divisions Over Resources
Senior Green party figures are divided over how much energy and resources to invest in the Makerfield race. This comes despite their recent win in Gorton and Denton, where they overturned a Labour majority of over 13,000 votes and pushed Labour into third place. However, party figures acknowledge that Makerfield presents a tougher electoral challenge, as Labour's Andy Burnham faces a strong challenge from Reform UK.
Caroline Lucas, the former Green MP and the party's first MP, has urged the party not to impede Burnham's return to Westminster. She stated on social media: "There are times when it's more important to put country before party. This is one of them. Burnham's longstanding commitment to a fairer voting system could transform our democracy and counter the dire threat of a Reform UK government."
In contrast, Jenny Jones, a veteran Green activist and one of the party's two members in the House of Lords, argued that the party should fight to win the seat. "We are a political party that owes it to voters to give them the chance to vote Green. Plus, this is a mess of Labour's own making. They are playing games. We are looking to replace them," she said.
Background on Candidate Change
The Greens were forced to re-select their candidate after the previous candidate, Chris Kennedy, withdrew from the race citing family issues. Reports from The Times indicated that Kennedy had posted conspiracy theories on social media about an attack on Jewish community ambulances, suggesting it was a "false flag." The party stated that Kennedy had apologised for the offence caused and that the posts did not reflect the views of the party.
