In Liverpool, the local politics of Daresbury, Moore and Sandymoor have recently had a green breakthrough that Andrew Dyer hopes is just the beginning of a greater green influence in the UK.
In early May, Dyer became the first Green Party member to hold a seat on Halton’s council. Defying expectations, Dyer beat his Conservative opponent, a Labour veteran, by only 20 votes. The local election was already unusual, with all 54 seats spanning 18 wards available, but Dyer’s win caused quite a stir in the overwhelmingly conservative council.
Being a resident of Sandymoor, Dyer feels like he understands the importance of his new responsibility. In an interview with the Liverpool Echo, Dyer shared that he aims to show how “there is real value to having councillors who are also residents in the ward and have real skin in the game for the things that need to be improved.”
Dyer is married and a father of four. At 43 years old, he works as a senior project manager and hopes to voice the needs of those living in the ward. In addition to providing the perspective of a Sandymoor resident, he also hopes to offer what he calls a “green lens”. This will be difficult considering the Labour-leaning council, but he remains eager to push green values and priorities. With a focus on visibility and accessibility, Dyer aims to lead the council’s activities towards a greener, more sustainable place.
“I’ve read so many stories of other local authorities who have been positively influenced by even having a single Green councillor and having that chance in Halton feels like the opportunity of a lifetime,” he shared. As the first Green Party member to join the council, Dyer encourages other locals to dive into politics in the hopes that the future will hold a greener council. Getting into politics may seem less daunting to locals if they recognize someone like them holding a councillor position. As a father and husband, Dyre hopes he can inspire others like him to get involved and make politics more accessible to those in the community.
“I’ve already been talking to other Green Party councillors around the UK who now have two, three or in some cases many more representatives on their councils in the elections following a single breakthrough,” Dyre said in an interview with the Liverpool Echo. He dreams of one day achieving the same level of success as Bristol’s Green Party, who are on equal footing with Labour peers in their respective council.
Until then, other members of the Green Party have congratulated Dyer for this achievement. As the only non-Labour member of the nine newcomers, his new position hasn’t gone unnoticed. Natalie Bennett, former Green Party leader, offered congratulations over Twitter and co-leader of the Green Party, Sian Berry, spoke with him over Zoom. With the rest of the Green Party behind him, Dyre is eager to make a change.
It seems that things are shifting in Sandymoor. Andrew Dyer has certainly caught the attention of Green members around the world with his win. Whether he can keep the momentum going in such a Labour-focused council will be a greater challenge.
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