THE GREEN Party have named Thornbury resident Iain Hamilton as their candidate for the general election on June 8.

Mr Hamilton, who represented the party two years ago as the candidate for the Thornbury and Yate seat, earning 1,316 votes, was formally selected yesterday following party hustings.

He told the Gazette how he was happy to have been selected for the second time in two years.

He added that, having been active in Thornbury to prepare for the 2019 local elections, he would look forward to joining the debate with fellow named candidates Conservative Luke Hall and Lib Dem Claire Young.

Speaking on the wider issues, he said: "Despite Teresa May saying six times there would not be a snap election here we are. As Yvette Cooper said in Parliament - Can we trust anything Teresa May says? 

"I want people to look back at, not just the last two years but the last seven, and ask themselves if they are happy with how things have gone."

He continued: "The Tories have cut benefits to the disabled, the working families and now they won’t say if they can secure the triple lock on pensions.

"Meanwhile the national debt has doubled, and we have seen cuts to education, the NHS, council tax has risen and our roads around Thornbury have in the last month started to crumble, the traffic on the A38 is unbearable at rush hour.

"Time to vote for a better future for our pensioners, our children and our grand children. Don’t leave them with our debt."