8th Oct 2007

Party Selects General Election Candidate

First Green Party Candidate in St Albans for 15 years

Pete Eggleston was chosen in a ballot of all local Green Party members. Mr Eggleston said he was delighted to accept his party's nomination. "There's never been a more urgent need for Green thinking. The General Election will be a vital opportunity to spread our ideas, and show that people support them."

The Green Party has been gathering support in recent years, both locally and nationally. The party relaunched in St Albans in 2005. In the local elections this year they received 20 per cent of the vote in some areas.

Pete Eggleston is an investment advisor for a major UK bank. In his spare time he is studying for an MSc in Biodiversity Conservation and Management, which involves field work with the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust.

He is the chair of the local Green Party, and lives in central St Albans with his wife. His main hobby is competing in triathlons, and he is currently attempting to qualify for the Great Britain team.

The Green Party nationally is expecting to win its first parliamentary seats at the next General Election. In recent local elections Green candidates in Brighton and Norwich have crept up on the other parties and are now poised to win their seats. The main target seat for the party is Brighton Pavillion, where the prominent Green MEP Caroline Lucas will be the candidate.

Dr Lucas said she was delighted that St Albans would be fielding a Green parliamentary candidate. "It's important that as many people as possible get the chance to vote Green at the next General Election," she commented. "St Albans Green Party has come a long way in the last couple of years, and I wish Pete every success with the coming campaign."

With increased concern about climate change and sustainability, Greens expect their vote to continue to rise.