The Young Greens are celebrating a successful set of results in May’s local elections. The Green Party now has 42 young councillors across England and Wales, with 4 new councillors elected and 8 successfully defending their seats. 

Young Green’s saw successful results across multiple council and mayoral elections, including 26-year-old Frank Adlington-Stringer, who, with over 50,000 votes, came third in the East Midlands mayoral elections, securing 11.3% of the vote share. Furthermore, Jack Vickers, the Young Green candidate for Pennsylvania ward on Exeter City Council, came second, consolidating the Greens position as the second biggest party in Exeter. 

Bristol saw a huge victory, including a gain of 10 extra seats and 5 Young Greens elected. These gains ensure that the Green Party remains the biggest party on Bristol City Council, with 34 councillors.

 Young Green election officers Kelsey Trevett and Dan Kittmer commented: 

“We’re absolutely delighted that, yet again, so many incredible Young Greens have been elected to councils across England. Of all the Green councillors elected on Thursday, 1 in every 15 was a Young Green—a massively higher proportion of young people elected than any other party. Our Young Green Councillors will be fantastic representatives for their communities, standing up for renters, advocating for real affordable and social housing, and fighting for joined-up public transport.

Young Green Councillors have already secured free period products in public buildings in Oxford, committed Norwich City Council to supporting Trans and Nonbinary people, and organised in solidarity with the Palestinian community in Lancaster. We’ll all be looking forward to seeing what our newly-elected Young Greens go on to do in office.”

Results

The new Young Green councillors elected are:

Kemal Cufoglu, Colchester Borough Council

Toby Bolton, Norwich City Council

Ashleigh Davies, Cheltenham Borough Council

Izzy Russell, Bristol City Council

Cam Hayward, Bristol City Council

Abi Finch, Bristol City Council

Grace Couch, Maidstone Borough Council

Alex Powell, Oxford City Council 

The Young Green councillors who held their seats are:

 Lauren McLay, Plymouth City Council

Patrick McAllister, Bristol City Council

James Crawford, Bristol City Council

Tor Pingree, Worcester City Council

Thank you to every voter and campaigner who helped get young Greens elected. Our councillors will work tirelessly for a fairer, greener community in England and Wales.

You can find all your Young Green Councillors here!

Wherever young people’s lives may take them, the Young Greens are there to represent and advocate for their needs, views and wants, championing the rights of students and young people aged up to 30 across England and Wales.

To get involved with the Young Greens on your campus or meet other Young Greens in your local area, visit our Groups page to find out more.

The post The Young Greens celebrate local election success with 12 young green councillors elected  appeared first on Young Greens.

We believe that the current system under a Conservative government in England, and Welsh Labour in Wales, is failing students. The Young Greens support abolishing the current exam system in favour of modular assessments, which give a fairer and more accurate guide to students capabilities in addition to removing the pressure and stress generated during high intensity exam periods. In addition, the Young Greens are in favour of abolishing Offsted in England and Estyn in Wales due to the damage they frequently cause to schools and teachers.

This academic year in particular students have faced challenging learning environments during teaching strikes. The Young Greens continue to stand in solidarity with all striking workers and support all teachers who are fighting, not only for improved wages and working conditions, but for student’s education. The Conservative government’s repeated inaction over decreases in pay and poor working conditions has continued to fail both teachers and students.

Jane Baston, Co-Chair of the Young Greens said: “Congratulations to all students who are receiving their results today. You’ve had an incredibly challenging learning environment to navigate over the last few years and you should be very proud of your results. This years results show how grades can be manipulated to stop grade inflation proving that exams are an inaccurate method of assessment. The fight for an education system that takes in to account students needs, and is free and fair for all continues.”

Amelia Jones, Co-Convenor of the Green Students Committee said: “Congratulations to everyone receiving their A-level results today! It’s important to celebrate all the hard work you have put into your studies during these challenging few years. If you haven’t gotten the results you wanted, then don’t despair- there are many other options outside of university that can lead to a fulfilling career. Our society values numbers and grades, but please remember that grades only represent a fraction of what you can achieve, and they do not define you!” 

Wherever young people’s lives may take them, the Young Greens are there to represent and advocate for their needs, views and wants, championing the rights of students and young people aged up to 30 across England and Wales. Join us now!

To get involved with the Young Greens on your campus or meet other Young Greens in your local area, visit our Groups page to find out more.

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The Young Greens would like to congratulate all A-Level and BTEC students receiving their results today. After two years of disrupted education through poor pandemic planning from this Government, A-Level students should be very proud of the results that they’ve achieved. The Young Greens wish them success in whatever their next steps may be, and want to remind all students that their exams results are not a reflection of their worth or potential.

The Young Greens believe exams are an outdated way of assessing young people’s attainment and knowledge, favouring exclusionary methods of learning which are not suitable for all learners. Moreover, examinations disproportionately negatively affect the futures of young people from low-income backgrounds,  from global majority backgrounds, and from areas where school resources, including teachers, are stretched.

The Young Greens would see exams abolished in favour of modular assessments,  removing the pressure and stress for young people that is associated with the intensive examinations period. Given the pandemic has already significantly impacted young people’s studies over the last few years, now is an opportune time to drastically and radically overhaul this unjust system.

Jane Baston, Co-Chair of the Young Greens said:

“Congratulations to all students receiving their results today.  It’s an incredible achievement, especially in light of having had to adapt to difficult circumstances created by the government’s chaotic, dangerous mismanagement of education during Covid.”

Kelsey Trevett continued:

“However you plan to proceed, the value of learning is inherent: we share your fury at a government which time and time again puts the economy over your education, and celebrates the resilience you’ve shown. The fight for a fair education system continues, one which isn’t solely focused on capitalist profit making.”

Co-Convenor of the Green Students Committee, Jamie Payne said “Congratulations to all those receiving their A-level results, and good luck in whatever step you choose to take next! The Young Greens recognise that all degrees and career paths have value and oppose the damaging Conservative rhetoric equating the value of a degree solely with its earning potential.”

Wherever young people’s lives may take them, the Young Greens are there to represent and advocate for their needs, views and wants, championing the rights of students and young people aged up to 30 across England and Wales. 

To get involved with the Young Greens on your campus or meet other Young Greens in your local area, visit our Groups page to find out more.

The post Young Greens congratulate those receiving their A-Level and BTEC results appeared first on Young Greens.