Exeter Green Party is calling for important decisions affecting the people of Exeter to be decided by residents in future. While the Green Party has been the only local party to consistently oppose unitary status for Exeter, they believe that such crucial issues should be determined by a local referendum rather than by politicians.
The Green Party has described the failed unitary bid and subsequent local elections now forced on the city by the courts, as a reckless, risky and expensive experiment driven by political motives rather than by the interests of Exeter residents.
Green Party County Councillor Paula Black told the PRSD: “At a time of savage cuts imposed by the coalition government a small unitary authority would just not be able to deliver the level of services offered by a county cuncil. Being a part of Devon will enable Exeter residents to enjoy a much greater range of services at lower costs.”
Greens also believe that Exeter’s future lies in Devon. Exeter Green Party chair Audaye Elesedy said: “As oil and other resources deplete and tackling climate change becomes more and more urgent, we will need to be more, rather than less, connected with rural Devon. We will be looking at the surrounding rural hinterland to supply a much greater proportion of our food and energy.”
While the Green Party believes that the costs now forced on Exeter residents by snap local elections imposed by the courts is the fault of other local Parties in Exeter they say they are fully prepared for the upcoming city elections.
Exeter Green Party Press officer Andrew Bell said: “Only the Green Party can claim to have clean hands on this issue and we hope that the people of Exeter realise this.
“As a truly democratic party we believe residents should determine the way their city is organised and governed by local referendums.
“The Labour government pushed blindly ahead with unitary status for Exeter despite the fact that the Exeter bid did not meet all the government’s own criteria. They did this in the full knowledge that a future Tory government would reverse the decision.
“All local parties, including the Liberals and local Conservatives, backed this misguided attempt at unitary status which has resulted in a complete fiasco. Our consistent opposition to unitary status for Exeter places us in a unique position.”
(from a press release)
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