The Green Party has named a new candidate for the Makerfield by-election, following the withdrawal of their previous choice.
Manchester city councillor Sarah Wakefield will now contest the June 18 vote, stating the party’s message is that “the future can be better and fairer than the failed status quo.”
Her selection comes after former Green candidate Chris Kennedy apologised following reports he had shared a post describing an attack on Jewish ambulances in north London as a “false flag”.
Ms Wakefield is currently on maternity leave from her role as a charity director and has prior experience in retail, with a particular focus on sustainable food.
She said: “I am proud to be representing the Green Party in the Makerfield by-election. It is vital in a democracy that voters are given a choice of who they want to vote for.
“Together we can bring back the hope that politics can create a better life for ourselves and our children. This is what the Green Party represents.
“We showed in Gorton and Denton we can take on and beat Reform, whose backward-looking and divisive politics needs to be challenged head-on with a message that the future can be better and fairer than the failed status quo. Don’t vote in anger, vote in hope.”
Mr Kennedy’s candidacy had been announced last Thursday but he pulled out just nine hours later, citing “personal and family reasons”.
The Times later reported it had approached Mr Kennedy about a series of social media posts he had shared, which a Green spokesperson said “don’t reflect the views of the Green Party”.
“We have spoken to Chris about these posts and he has now deleted them. He apologises for the offence caused,” the spokesman said.
