The Green Group of Councillors on Brighton and Hove City Council announce their team of spokespeople after losing control of the city council.
SIX of the nine-strong team held positions of responsibility during the Green’s recent four-year term in administration, while their three newly elected colleagues bring fresh experience to the mix.
The Green Group convenor, Phélim Mac Cafferty, said: “We will do our utmost to ensure that the administration remains accountable and looks forward. Wherever necessary, we will protect our rich legacy of city renewal and regeneration, fairness and environmental protection.
“We fought as the administration for a city which was fairer and more equal and have a long list of wins including keeping every library open, the regeneration of key parts of the city and introducing a living wage which has put £1.5m back into the pockets of working people. We will continue to push against austerity and continue our excellent work on creating a more sustainable city.
“We look forward, with our new team of councillors, and offer a rich mix of experience and fresh energy which will be a great asset to the Council and the city alike.”
♦ Phélim Mac Cafferty: Green Group Convenor and Spokesperson on Planning.
Phélim is councillor in Brunswick & Adelaide. During the Green administration he was both Deputy Leader and chair of the Planning committee, leading on regeneration. He was the political architect of the City Plan, which scoped out the development of the city to 2030, and he led on key equalities work such as trans equality.
♦ Cllr. Pete West: Deputy Mayor and Spokesperson on Environment, Transport & Sustainability (ETS).
First elected in 1996, Pete West was the Green Party’s first councillor in Sussex. Under the Green administration he was chair of the Environment, Transport & Sustainability committee and led on the regeneration of the Level. Cllr. West is also being put forward as Deputy Mayor for the coming year, which means he will serve as Mayor the following year, from May 2016, twenty years after he first became a councillor.
♦ Cllr. Alex Phillips: Deputy convenor (external communications) and Spokesperson on Children, Young People & Skills.
Alex Phillips was first elected as councillor for Goldsmid in 2009 and was recently re-elected for Regency with her husband Tom Druitt. She is a trained teacher and led the failed coup to replace the former leaders of the council, Jason Kitcat.
♦ Cllr. Lizzie Deane: Joint deputy convenor (internal communications) and Spokesperson on Licensing.
Lizzie Deane was re-elected for St Peters & North Laine ward with 5,026 votes, the largest for any BHCC councillor ever recorded. During the Green administration she was deputy chair of licensing.
♦ Cllr. Louisa Greenbaum: Joint deputy convenor (internal communications).
A new councillor in St Peters and North Laine, Louisa is an experienced environmental campaigner who works part-time for the Green Party. She has two daughters.
♦ Cllr. Ollie Sykes: Spokesperson on Finance.
Councillor for Brunswick & Adelaide, Ollie Sykes was the finance lead during the Green administration and says he opened up the process for developing the budget to an unprecedented level of transparency and public consultation.
♦ Cllr. David Gibson: Spokesperson on Housing & New Homes.
David Gibson, a new councillor for Hanover & Elm Grove, has been a community worker and housing campaigner for many years and recently set up the Living Rent Campaign to address insecurity and inflated rents in the private rented sector. He also set up Hanover Action for Sustainable Living (HASL).
♦ Cllr. Leo Littman: Spokesperson on Neighbourhoods, Communities & Equality.
Brighton, born & bred, Leo Littman, a councillor for Preston Park, is also an Open University Lecturer in Environment Studies and Developmental Psychology. During the Green administration he was Chair of the Governance Committee, Deputy Chair of Policy & Resources and Deputy Chair of the Children & Young People committee. He was also the Council’s Black & Minority Ethnic communities Champion.
♦ Cllr. Tom Druitt: Spokesperson on Economic Development & Culture.
Tom Druitt, with his wife Cllr. Phillips, is a new councillor for Regency ward. He heads the Big Lemon bus company which has a fleet of bright yellow coaches and buses which run on recycled cooking oil from local restaurants.
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