We have invited the Green Party to explain in their words why you should vote for them.

The Green Party have four candidates at this year’s borough council elections - Jonathan Jenkin, Richard Musson and Stephen Philpotts in Chineham, and Bill Farrington in Kempshott and Buckskin.

Jonathan Jenkin also stood as the Green Party candidate for Basingstoke at the 2019 General Election, finishing in fourth with 3.9 per cent of the vote.

The elections for Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Hampshire County Council and the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner will be held on May 6, 2021.

These elections offer voters the opportunity to make our area a better place to live, writes Stephen Philpotts. The Green Party wants to see more jobs and services that regenerate our communities, but not at any cost.

The Green Party is not looking for short-term opportunities to win votes. The climate emergency is the most serious issue we face, an issue we are more serious about than any other political party.

We were warning about this long before others. This goes beyond politics, but political will is needed – locally as well as nationally - to ensure effective action.

While other parties now recognise the importance of this issue, it is only the Greens who can be relied upon to consistently to take action at a local level.

We are encouraged that our Council recognises that there is a climate emergency, but we will hold them to account.

We will make sure that they translate their plans into effective long-term action. And we will work with other parties and local groups to make our futures sustainable and fairer for all.

Large housing developments are a major issue in our area.

We need more affordable homes, starter homes and help with rent for those on low incomes.

But all these houses need to be built with sustainability and the community in mind.

They need to integrate with business areas, with good public transport facilities, so that jobs are closer to where people live.

We advocate Council-owned office hubs for those who need to work remotely but do not have the facilities to so and would like some social interaction while cutting down on long commutes. And encourage community-owned electricity generation systems.

We do not believe that the proposed Upper Swallick ‘garden community’ is likely to fit this model. It will have a monumental impact on the people and landscape of villages to the south of Basingstoke.

While new development is unavoidable, it cannot be at the expense of wide swathes of countryside and existing village communities.

If you vote for the Green Party you are deciding that the longer-term is just as important as the present.

What we do now will have lasting consequences not only for us, but for future generations here in north Hampshire.