THE GREEN candidate for the Stroud constituency has spoken out after it was announced this week that the General Election would take place in July. 

This week Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that a General Election will be held on Thursday, July 4. 

Mr Sunak, who has been Prime Minister since October 2022, has called the election after months of speculation about its date.

Candidates for the Stroud parliamentary constituency have started giving their initial thoughts to the news.  

Adrian Oldman, co-coordinator of Stroud District Green Party, said: “We welcome the news that a date for the General Election has finally been announced.

"We look forward to this disastrous Conservative government being removed from office after 14 long years,

“The Green Party is confident of winning more seats in Parliament and is ready to fight for seats here in Stroud and North Cotswolds, where we have strong, committed candidates in Pete Kennedy and Chloe Turner.”

Pete Kennedy, Green Party parliamentary candidate for Stroud, said: “There has been a huge political shift across Stroud in recent years, and I’m campaigning to be Stroud’s Green voice in Parliament.

“Just three weeks ago, the Green Party won the most votes in the Stroud District Council election and became the largest party on the Council.

"People have seen that they don’t just have to choose between Labour or Conservative - and that voting Green will make a difference.”

Due to the recent boundary changes, the Stroud constituency will have some changes. 

It has gained Wotton-under-Edge but Bisley, Hardwicke , Minchinhampton and Painswick and Upton will all form part of the new North Cotswolds constituency. 

The Stroud constituency is formed of: Amberley & Woodchester, Berkeley Vale, Cainscross, Cam East, Cam West, Chalford, Coaley & Uley, Dursley, Nailsworth , Randwick, Whiteshill & Ruscombe, Rodborough, Severn, Stonehouse, Stroud Central, Stroud Farmhill & Paganhill, Stroud Slade, Stroud Trinity, Stroud Uplands, Stroud Valley, The Stanleys, Thrupp and Wotton-under-Edge