After due consideration, Thanet Green Party has decided not to stand a candidate in the forthcoming TDC by-election in Nethercourt.
There are several reasons for our decision, but fundamentally we believe there’s a point of principle at stake, resulting from the resignation of former Councillor Liz Green.
Councillor Green was unable to attend face to face Council meetings for some time due to ill health, and as a result was advised by TDC she could no longer sit as a TDC Councillor and submitted her resignation.
Chair of Thanet Green Party, Councillor Mike Garner, said: "After permitting online Council meetings at the start of the pandemic, the Government has insisted for some time now that Councils hold all formal meetings face to face, despite continuing high Covid infection rates in many areas, which creates particular challenges for members with compromised health.
We appreciate that Thanet District Council has to abide by the requirements the Government sets for attendance – but as a Party we believe Local Authorities should have discretion about face to face meetings and allowing individual Councillors to join remotely.
I have written to the Leader of TDC, Councillor Ash Ashbee, asking her to add her voice to that of the LGA and other Local Authorities in asking the Government to permit Councils this flexibility. Under these circumstances, we felt it would not be right for us to seek to profit electorally from Councillor Green’s resignation, and accordingly we have decided not to stand a Green Party candidate in this by-election."