Welcome to Hampshire's first Green Councillor!

Winchester Green Party welcomes the decision by County Councillor Alan Weeks to defect from the Liberal Democrats to become Hampshire's first ever Green Councillor.

Alan was the Chairman and Campaign leader for the New Forest group of the Liberal Democrats until shortly after the May election. Originally elected onto the New Forest District Council as the youngest ever councillor, Alan has over twenty years of substantial experience in local politics. He has pledged to give local Greens a big boost.

Alan says, 'I see the Liberal Democrat Party going downhill rapidly. The Green Party is going to take over as being the credible alternative to the Conservatives here. When I was campaigning local voters made it clear to me that they were angry about the way they have been let down by the national Lib Dem party. What they were saying was right.

I have been a Lib Dem for about 25 years and it is not me that has changed.

It is the values of the national Liberal Democrats that have changed. For example, on the tuition fees issue, it was untrustworthy for MPs to break personal pledges that they had made.

Commenting on the news, Alison Craig of Winchester Green Party says 'We hope Liberal Democrats in Winchester will follow Alan's example and join us. We are the Party of the future and we stick to our principles.

Alan Weeks is attending our August meeting and we intend to benefit from his knowledge and experience.'