Brighton and Hove Green Party has selected Helen Dixon and Christopher Hawtree as its two candidates for Central Hove ward in the upcoming local council elections in May 2023.
In the last set of local elections, the top Green Party candidate was just 40 votes behind the two Labour candidates who won the seat.
Helen Dixon is a local resident who has worked all her life in human rights education, media and sustainable community development both overseas and locally in Brighton & Hove since 2011. She is a bilingual creative writer and translator, tutor at the Institute of Development Studies and is studying for a PhD. As a feminist and member of Brighton and Hove’s LGBTIQA+ community, and as someone who has migrated herself, she is passionate about upholding human rights.
On her selection, Helen said:
“I’m really concerned about how the cost of food, energy and housing is squeezing so many people in different ways. I think it’s more important than ever that we become active in our local community, to ensure we put the care and wellbeing of people and our planet at the centre of social and economic policies. So I’m excited to engage in this new experience of being a candidate for councillor with the Green Party.
“If elected I’ll be proud to make the voices of Central Hove residents heard, and I’ll take the same positive and flexible problem-solving approach that I’ve learned from my experience in community development.”
Christopher Hawtree was a Green councillor in Central Hove between 2011-2015. He also previously stood as the Green Party candidate for Hove in the 2015 general election. He is a writer and an active campaigner on issues in the area.
On his selection, Christopher added:
“I am glad to be standing again in Central Hove, which I have previously enjoyed representing, when I learnt much about the hundreds of diverse matters with which the Council deals every day. I enjoy walking around the area and talking to residents about both their concerns and their enjoyment of living here. My involvement with local issues includes two campaigns to prevent Labour’s closure of Hove Library, which brought national attention. I was disappointed to see the recent attempt by Hove Labour councillors to reduce the opening hours of Hove Library.”