17th Oct 2009
Greens to Stand in Macclesfield
East Cheshire Green Party selects candidate
The voters of Macclesfield look set to have a full choice of candidates at next year's General Election, thanks to the announcement by East Cheshire Green Party that they intend to stand their first ever candidate in the constituency.
Local man John Knight is employed in the Research Department of a major Trade Union. Originally from nearby Stockport, he has lived in Macclesfield for the past seven years, with his Poynton-born wife, who works for a manufacturing company in the constituency, and their son, who attends a local state primary school.
John (48), a keen walker, is a member of the Long Distance Walkers Association and the Peak & Northern Footpaths Society. In 2007, he was awarded a Bachelor's degree in liberal arts from the Open University. He is also a supporter of both Stockport County Football Club and Sale Sharks Rugby Club.
John is concerned about the future of Macclesfield Hospital. He says "The people of East Cheshire campaigned vociferously to save our maternity and children's inpatient services when they were under threat. Now mental health services are being cut, with the closure of Bollin ward and the announcement of a four-month consultation into the remaining provision at Macclesfield Hospital. Our hospital faces the continuing prospect of death by a thousand cuts - local people must be vigilant in defending our local health services."
On the future of BAE Systems in Woodford, John says, "This will be a particularly worrying time for those workers and their families. The Green Party would like to see the skills of the workforce being turned to the development, manufacture and installation of renewable energy systems, home & business insulation or public & sustainable transport systems, while at the same time, this Green Belt site and its resident wildlife must be protected from inappropriate development."
John is determined to oppose the Poynton bypass. As he says, "Labour, Tories and LibDems have all lined up to welcome the prospect of Mill Hill Hollow and Norbury Hollow being bulldozed for the sake of an extra road to the airport. Only the Green Party has spoken out to defend our beautiful countryside from such needless desecration."
The people of Macclesfield and the surrounding area have demonstrated time and again their commitment to the future of their community and environment, as witnessed by the growth of community-based recycling, carbon-reduction and sustainable food schemes. Now they will have the opportunity to translate that into political representation with the election of a Green member of parliament.
