Becoming an Oxfordshire Green Party General Election candidate: a brief guide
Candidates at UK General Elections receive a profile and opportunities bigger than at any other election in the UK. Becoming a General Election candidate for the Green Party in Oxfordshire will give you a unique chance to help and advance green politics in the county and beyond.
To be a candidate, you do not necessarily need any prior political experience although this obviously helps. However, as soon as candidates are selected, you can begin to use your position and status, long before any election date is set, to help champion green politics. You should be aware of how you can use the position to most effectively promote the party and what it stands for, and what you will need to do in order to make the most if it.
What will be expected of a candidate by the party
- You should be able to represent the party in public, particularly through public speaking
- You should be able to develop a relationship with the local media so that they know who you are and may seek you out for comment
- You should be able to proactively seek out opportunities to promote yourself, such as in the media, public meetings, and by contacting local organisations to speak to
- You should be familiar with current political issues and with party policy (in particular the main themes in the draft manifesto once it is drawn up)
- You should keep track of what the MP in your constituency is saying and doing so that you can respond or comment when appropriate
- You should be able to drive your campaign forward, and help get a team together to run it
What the party will do for the candidate
You will have the support of the party’s staff (the Local Party Manager and the Elections Coordinator) and its resources (such as the RISO printer and our website, canvassing and communications software). The national party (the Green Party of England & Wales) will also coordinate support and training for candidates through its regional field officer, and run a scheme to print each candidate’s main ‘Freepost’ election leaflet.
Oxfordshire Green Party will help fund your campaign through money it raises. The Elections Committee has overall strategic responsibility for elections, and will brief you on overall strategy and give advice and support on campaign goals and the campaign plan. The Elections Coordinator will help sort out meeting any legal requirements.
Commitment
Being a good candidate inevitably involves some commitment to the role and a desire to make the most of the opportunity. The amount of time that you can spend on it is difficult to quantify, but activity and planning can begin as soon as you are chosen; it is not something that can be largely left until the election date is announced.
If interested, sign up on our candidates wanted page.
OGP Elections Committee
January 2019
