Green co-leader celebrates MP win with town visit

Adrian Ramsay in Diss turning to look over his shoulder with Green Party supporters applauding behind himImage source, Shaun Whitmore/BBC
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Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay beat his Conservative rival with a majority of 5,494 in the new Waveney Valley constituency

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East Anglia's first Green Party MP has been celebrating his win by visiting one of his new constituency's market towns.

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay won 20,467 votes in Waveney Valley, beating his Conservative rival who came second with 14,874.

Now one of four Green MPs in the UK Parliament, Mr Ramsay spoke to party workers and constituents in Diss, Norfolk.

Mr Ramsay said he would "be a hard-working, visible MP" who would "also push Labour to be bolder", saying they had "backslided on their promises on the environment and on funding for public services".

Image source, Shaun Whitmore/BBC
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He has been celebrating in Diss with party members and meeting constituents

It was a huge win for the Greens, which had poured resources and effort into the seat.

Mr Ramsay said two big issues came up on the doorstep during his election campaign: "One is the decline in local services, particularly the complete lack of NHS dentists in Waveney Valley... and at the same time, the scandal of sewage in our rivers and environmental degradation more generally."

He said the party had come a long way since the first Green councillors were elected in Suffolk and Norfolk 20 years ago.

"We've built on that year-on-year. East Anglia is leading the way in that local support for the Green Party... people putting their faith and trust in us, and I will work hard every day to repay that trust," Mr Ramsay said.

Image source, Shaun Whitmore/BBC
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Mr Ramsay said by being in Parliament the party could "put pressure" on Labour to "take bolder action"

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