2015 Young Greens Co-Chairs Election - why I am supporting Chris Jarvis and Hannah Clare

Every year the Young Greens elect their National Executive Committee, their Structures & Procedures Committee, and the Co-chairs of the Regional Senate. I've been an active Young Green for over 5 years now, and every year the election to these national bodies gets better and better with more and better experienced people putting themselves forward for selection. I honestly believe that for the Co-Chairs of Young Greens, we have by far the best and tightest election ever. Five amazing, experienced, dedicated and talented members have put themselves forward. I would be proud to call any of them Co-chair of the youth wing of the party I belong to. However, I am backing Chris Jarvis and Hannah Clare as my first 2 choices for Co-chairs, and this is why.

Chris Jarvis

Chris Jarvis is someone I first met at the Young Greens convention in Sheffield in 2012, and have seen him at conventions and national party conferences ever since - longer than any other candidate standing in this election. As a student at the University of East Anglia (UEA) he ran a food co-operative, spent over a year as President of the Young Greens student society and a further year as Equality & Diversity Co-ordinator. Not only was he secretary of the University's People & Planet society, but he was also the People & Planet South East Regional Organiser. He has been elected twice onto UEA's Student's Union officers as Campaigns & Democracy Officer. Chris also has experience being on the Young Greens NEC, having previously been the Membership Support Officer.

Chris is intensely dedicated to the Green Party, the Young Greens and the eco-socialist cause. He has the experience and drive to take the Young Greens forward, and is exactly what we need. He also happens to be vegan as well so gains extra points from me!

Hannah Clare

Hannah first got involved in politics when she joined the UK Youth Parliament when she was still in high school. While at University she became chair of the debating union, and later of Liverpool Young Greens. She's been active in the Green Party for the last 2 and a half years, being on both her local party's committee and her regional party's committee as well. In the Young Greens I have had the pleasure of working with her when she became the first ever co-convenor of Young Greens North in 2013, which she has done for 2 whole years. During that 2 years she has been responsible for setting up and running the Young Greens Regional Senate. During the 2015 General Election she represented the Young Greens on an online TV debate/hustings for the BBC with the leaders of the youth wings for all the other major parties in the UK, and she did a brilliant job.

Hannah has committed herself to standing up for disadvantaged and minority groups in the party, and I believe she will continue to do this as co-chair of the Young Greens. She has excellent debating skills, something which we desperately need from our representatives.