Mid Suffolk: How did the Green Party win over Tory hearts?

The Green Party has claimed a historic victory after taking sole control of an English council for the first time in Mid Suffolk. How did it win the hearts and minds of voters in this traditionally Tory area?

Sweet shop owner Jan Arundel voted for the Green Party for the first time, having always voted Conservative in the past.

"I never expected to vote for the Greens but I'm really worried about the future and we all need to start thinking about it," she says.

Living in the small rural village of Crowfield, she has seen lots of banners and placards in support of the Greens.

The party was already the main opposition on Mid Suffolk, a council where no single party had a majority, and last year it stepped up its campaigning and leafletting in the district, which includes the towns of Stowmarket, Needham Market and Eye.

But Jan says she was still shocked to learn how well the party had done by doubling its number of councillors to 24, giving it a significant majority on the 34-seat council.

"I just hope this brings about some change; I've lost faith in the Conservatives; there are so many scandals coming out and I wanted to give someone new a chance," she says.

"They can't do any more harm than the current government is doing."

In Stowmarket, Emily Clarke decided to stick with the Green Party, having also voted for them in the past.

Party leaders chose Stowmarket as the place to launch their national campaign for these elections, and Emily says their presence has really been felt in the market town.

"I really think they will be able to effect some change," she says.

The 33-year-old wanted to show her support for a local councillor who runs a shop in the town who is "so passionate about Stowmarket".

"Stowmarket is a fantastic place. I really think having someone like him will be able to push it a bit further," she adds.

At Westminster, Stowmarket is part of the Bury St Edmunds constituency, represented by the Conservative MP Jo Churchill. The eastern side of the Mid Suffolk council district is part of the Central Suffolk & North Ipswich constituency, represented by another Tory - Dr Dan Poulter.

In Stowmarket, longstanding Green Party supporter Gareth Betts Davies hopes the council can "showcase what success might look like" and "get other people believing".

"People are really starting to notice the impact of climate change," he says.

"Locally they are a really active and engaging party. They're quite different as well here - the Green Party is typically seen as quite a young party, but here it has a broad appeal and I think that has made a difference compared to other areas in the country."

Steve Ambrose voted for the Green Party for the first time, because of "events over the last few years".

The 62-year-old says he could not bring himself to vote for the Conservatives any more, insisting he has "gone to the other side now".

He hopes the Greens will bring some regeneration to Stowmarket town centre, which lies on the busy A14 trunk road between Bury St Edmunds to the west and Ipswich and the Port of Felixstowe to the south east.

"The town centre needs some help and they need to try and improve services generally for the community," he added.

In the neighbouring, smaller town of Needham Market, Francis Codling has just come out of a pub to find that her vote helped the Green Party gain control of the council.

Waiting at a bus stop, she says she feels "delighted" but "not surprised" because the party has had a big presence in the local community recently.

"I have always voted for the Lib Dems, but the Greens are doing a lot here locally so I knew it wouldn't be a wasted vote," she says.

The 81-year-old has got four children, eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, who she was thinking about at the polling station.

"That's one of the main reasons why I wanted to vote for the Greens. I'm worried about their future and I'm worried about the climate. I want there to be a world here for them to enjoy. I really hope they can do something about it."

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