This is part of a series of articles. In the run-up to the election, we will be profiling all of Herefordshire's prospective parliamentary candidates. Here, we take a look at who is in the running for the Greens.
North Herefordshire (and its predecessor Leominster) has returned Conservative MPs for over 100 years, the Greens’ candidate for the constituency Dr Ellie Chowns points out. So there’s a lot to overcome to defeat the incumbent Sir Bill Wiggin (majority, 24,856).
But the former MEP for the region, and head of the nine-strong Green group on the county council, says her own party’s extensive doorstep polling shows the task is achievable, claiming she is within a percentage point of Sir Bill.
Indeed North Herefordshire is one of the Greens’ four target seats across the whole country, meaning Dr Chowns has appeared alongside the party’s two joint leaders, Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay in national party political broadcasts.
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Her profile has been further raised recently by the backing of homes designer, presenter and Herefordshire resident Kevin McCloud, and of food writer and broadcaster Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
A former county cabinet member for economy and environment, and party spokesperson nationally on housing and communities, her policy priorities are tackling the cost of living crisis, investing in the NHS and other key public services, and bring the Lugg and Wye rivers back to life and protecting nature and wildlife.
An indefatigable campaigner, she has already held meetings with locals in over 30 village halls across what is one of England’s largest constituencies, and has her own campaign website, elliechowns.org.uk.
With a team of over 350 party volunteers she has also been pushing the message on doorsteps over the past year. "We are taking no vote for granted," she says.
Meanwhile in the south of the county in what has so far been a less high-profile campaign, the Greens’ Diana Toynbee, an established county and city councillor, will take on the Conservatives’ Jesse Norman (majority 19,686).
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Having worked mostly in education, including adult literacy and as a teaching assistant and a school governor, she served as the county’s cabinet member for children’s services until last May.
She has said her priorities as a city councillor have been “engaging people in local democracy, and fulfilling Hereford's potential to be a model clean, green, dynamic city of opportunity and a great quality of life”.
The General Election is being held on July 4. We will be profiling all candidates, for which nominations have now closed.
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