THE Green Party in the Forest launched its campaign for May’s Gloucestershire County Council election in Coleford on Saturday (March 14).

Candidates and other members were joined at the clock tower by the Green Party’s co-leader, Carla Denyer MP, the Forest Thump samba band and a figure representing “the Goddess of the Wye”.

Four candidates were introduced: Dave Wheeler for Coleford, Jonathan Lane for Lydney, Becky Hoyland who is defending her seat in Blakeney and Bream and Chris McFarling the current county councillor for Tidenham.

Cllr Lane, a district councillor for Tidenham, said they were standing against “right-wing authoritarianism”.

“It isn't just about making big speeches, making grand promises.

“It's about doing things on the day to day that actually improve people's lives and restore faith in democracy and make people believe that you don't have to vote for the extremes, that you can vote for people who do listen, who do talk your language and who try to make a difference.”

Cllr Hoyland said she had focused on helping children in care during her time on the council.

She said: “We're making sure that children and families are across the Forest of Dean and Gloucestershire get all the support right at the the start of their journey.

“I think social justice is something that is just an absolute core part of being a Green as well as the environmental justice.”

Cllr Wheeler, who currently represents Sling on the district council, said potholes were a major issue.

He said: “People want those potholes filled and they want them to stay filled.

“That's terribly local, but that's what it's all about, really.

And the other thing that people want to see is services locally in the Forest of Dean, not all the services provided by the county council in Gloucester.”

Cllr McFarling said through making amendments to budgets, the four Greens currently on the council had directed £1 million towards activities such as support for electric bikes.

Carla Denyer did not mention the election on Saturday but instead focused on the war in Gaza.

She criticised the Israeli response to the terrorist attack on October 7 2023 – the worst anti-Jewish atrocity since the Holocaust – as “disproportionate” and “a genocide”.

She also praised campaigners who hold vigils each Saturday in Coleford.

“Thank you for bearing witness and for all that you have been doing to ensure that the on-going human rights catastrophe in Palestine is staying at the top of everyone's minds here in Coleford.

“That's really important thank you nearly a year and a half from the start of the most recent period.”

In a statement released by the Green Party, she added: “The Greens already run the district councils in both Stroud and the Forest of Dean, and have a lot of support across the county.

“We have a very strong slate of candidates for the county elections and there’s every chance that in May we’ll see a good increase in the number of Green county councillors in Shire Hall.”