The Green Party is first out of the blocks with naming its mayoral candidate for next year's election: it's Sian Berry.
Berry, who also ran as the Green candidate in 2008, was named at a press conference at the West Kensington and Gibbs Green estates tenants' hall — the estates slated for demolition under the current plans for Earl's Court. Referring to the location, Berry said
"For most Londoners, including me, housing is the absolute key problem to sort out, and one that might drive us away from our city altogether. Greens in City Hall are already working on ways to give people back the power to shape their own communities, estates and new building projects, and the community here in West Kensington is showing us the way forward as well.
"We must act to stop the need everyone has to put a decent roof over their heads from being exploited, and find new ways of making London truly affordable again. London belongs to all of us, and the Green campaign will work with citizens and communities all over the city to win more power for the people next May."
Berry has more reason than most candidates to feel strongly about housing — she's one of London's growing army of private renters, so has immediate knowledge of high rents. We also asked her how she would work with a Conservative government, given the two parties aren't exactly easy bedfellows, and she proposed innovative ways to raise funds rather than rely on a shrinking pot of money from central government.
Berry will be hoping to capitalise on the recent 'Green surge', as well as the party's 2012 mayoral result when Jenny Jones came in third.
While the Greens may be the first party to officially name its candidate, we've known for a few weeks that the Liberal Democrat candidate will be Caroline Pidgeon. Pidgeon, who's been a London Assembly Member since 2008, was on a shortlist of two. However her challenger, Duwayne Brooks, withdrew from the race, leaving Pidgeon the de facto nominee.
The Greens have also announced the order of candidates for the London Assembly list. These are the people who will take up Assembly seats, depending on how many the Greens win in the proportional section of the vote. The two current Greens, Jenny Jones and Darren Johnson, are stepping down next year. It's likely that two more will be elected to replace them; the party came within a whisker of a third seat in 2012, so will they be able to achieve that in 2016?
The list in full:
Sian Berry
Caroline Russell
Jonathan Bartley
Noel Lynch
Shahrar Ali
Rashid Nix
Tom Chance
Benali Hamdache
Dee Searle
Andrea Carey-Fuller
Rosemary Warrington
