Next Elections
The next local council elections are in May 2010, and the next general election will be by May 2010 at the latest.
The Green Party intends on standing in all of Birmingham's 40 wards at the local election, and in half Birmingham's constituencies at the general election.
Please see below for details of our general election candidates, and our local election candidate for Ladywood (the city centre ward and surrounds).
General Election Candidates:
Peter Beck
Birmingham Ladywood
Peter Beck is 66 and now retired. He has two children and three grandchildren. He is particularly concerned about their future. Born in West Bromwich, he has been a Birmingham resident for 58 years. He spent 10 years as a History teacher in Zambia and on return worked for NACRO and Rathbone (employment training/social care) for 12 years. His last post was as a library assistant at Halesowen College, where he was also a UNISON steward. He was previously active in his Neighbourhood Forum and is still involved in the protection and promotion of local Green Space for recreation, nature conservation and food production.
Peter spent 10 years in the Labour Party including standing as ward candidate. He joined the Green Party in 1990 and ever since has been a ward and parliamentary candidate. He has also been a national GP Masts Policy Adviser. Peter has been a committed campaigner especially on issues relating to climate change, war, and green spaces. He is currently focusing on the urgent need for green economics and the implementation of a Green New Deal in the UK.
Joe Rooney
Birmingham Sutton Coldfield
Joe Rooney moved to Birmingham in 1999 to study at the University. Upon graduation, he worked for the National Union of Students for a year, and since then has held a number of jobs as a trade union organiser, which gives him the opportunity to help people directly with problems they face day to day.
He joined the Green Party in 2002, inspired by reading their Core Values, and became active on a number of issues, such as the Iraq War, University tuition fees, and climate change. He stood for the Greens in Edgbaston Ward in 2006, and in Bournville in both 2007 and 2008. He is currently studying for a Masters in Industrial Relations and is preparing to be the Green candidate in Sutton Coldfield in the next General Election.
James Burn
Birmingham Selly Oak
James Burn moved to Birmingham in 2000 to study at the University of Birmingham. Since that time he has mainly worked in Housing and Social Care.
James also has vast experience working and volunteering with various comunity/campaigning groups, including the Fair Trade and anti-sweatshop movements, Fireside/SIFA, WRVS, Age Concern, St Anne's Hostel, Human Writes, Christian Aid, Oxfam, and Amnesty International.
He joined the Green Party in 2008 following a year of working for Birmingham City Council's Cabinet Members and having seen the potential of politics for achieving positive change, but having become disillusioned with the mainstream parties and realising the need for policies that can bring about far-reaching change, especially regarding poverty and social exclusion locally and internationally.
In addition to being the Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Selly Oak, he is Birmingham Green Party's Policy and Campaigns Co-ordinator, and is currently in the second year of a Masters in Social Work.
Phil Simpson
Birmingham Edgbaston
Phil Simpson moved to Birmingham in 1965 and has lived in Harborne since 1970. He has worked in local government all his life and retired in 2003 after 25 years with Birmingham City Council’s Transportation Dept. He joined the Green Party in 1979 and first stood in elections in 1981; getting 12.5% vote in the European elections of 1989 and latterly coming third since 2007 in Harborne Ward.
As a former Chair of The Harborne Society and Senior Advisor to Birmingham’s Planning Committee for over 6 years Phil knows about development from both sides. Having brought up his family in Harborne attending local schools, churches and helped in all aspects of local community life he knows what makes communities work too.
He has been in the Green Party for 30 years and fought elections at Local, National and European level. Internally he has been Treasurer of Birmingham Green Party for many years and is now active also regionally in the West Midlands Green Party and nationally on the GP Regional Council.
Birmingham Hall Green
Birmingham Hall Green Members voted in October 2009 to stand down a Green Party candidate from this constituency in favour of Salma Yaqoob of Respect.
Birmingham Green Party are currently selecting another constituency to stand a candidate in instead.
Local Election Candidates:
James Robertson
Birmingham Ladywood Ward
James Robertson lives in Birmingham and works at Birmingham City University, looking after their website. He's been married for 9 years and has one child.
James is passionately committed to the aim of making England more sustainable and greener. He sees local politics as one way to start making a difference: "Birmingham is the biggest local council in Europe: we could make a huge difference in the city just be implementing Green policies that wouldn't cost council taxpayers any extra" he said. "We have to work to make change happen, and Birmingham City Council is one of the best places to achieve this."
He set up and runs Freecycle (a way to advertise unwanted items to other people, who come and collect them from you, thus avoiding waste and the use of more energy making new things) in 2004, which now has 23,000 members in Birmingham. James has always been passionately anti-racist and anti-fascist and has a long history of campaigning against the BNP and the NF. The unequivocal anti-BNP stance of the Green Party is a hugely important issue for him.
