Alison Teal, councillor for Nether Edge and Sharrow ward, has been selected by Sheffield Green Party to stand for Sheffield Central constituency in the next general election.
Speaking after her selection, Alison said,
“I’m in politics because I care about people and the planet.
“Successive Labour and Tory governments have failed to act on climate change, which the Greens have been campaigning on since 1985. We need more Green voices in Parliament to put the Climate Emergency at the heart of government decision-making.
“I want a government that works for everyone, with policies focused on equality, where people’s basic need for a secure home is met. Carbon reduction policies are about creating excellent public transport, renewable energy, locally sourced sustainable food production, healthier and greener urban environments, a switch from consumer culture to a zero-carbon, zero-waste one. As these positive changes take effect, we will see improvements in health and wellbeing.
“The Climate Crisis is frightening, but it also presents an opportunity. We have an urgent choice to make: we can rapidly implement zero-carbon policies which will improve everyone’s quality of life, or we can continue to allow large corporations and the super-rich to use up the Earth’s resources until there’s nothing left.”
Originally, from Royston, near Barnsley, Alison is a trained clinical psychologist and family therapist and worked in the charitable sector in Australia.
When she was 25, she read “The Limits to Growth” and this started her interest in environmental politics. In 1996, she completed a master’s research project on people’s response to the climate crisis and found others shared her concerns.
When she returned to the UK in 2013, Alison made a decision that she wanted to get involved with the only party that is serious about action on the environment.
Alison was first elected as a Nether Edge & Sharrow councillor in 2016. She was re-elected in 2018 by a very large majority, reflecting her excellent reputation for hard work and personal integrity both in the ward and more generally.
Alison has campaigned on climate change, social justice and for a People’s Vote on Brexit. She has been at the forefront of the street trees campaign, including the attempt by the Labour council to jail her.
Mamie Shafi, chair of Nether Edge & Sharrow Green Party, said,
“Alison has shown through her actions as a local councillor in Nether Edge and Sharrow since 2016 that she is an effective and engaged representative who puts the needs of the people first. She has a reputation for standing up to people in power and holding them to account.”
In 2019, she stood as a Green Party candidate for the European Parliament, playing a strong role in getting Magid Magid elected as an MEP.
Magid Magid, MEP, praised her, saying,
“Sheffield Central deserves an MP who is not only grounded in the community but also has a wealth of experience in grassroots campaigning and activism. Alison has shown time and time again that she puts people before anything else. She has a heart of gold and I couldn’t think of anyone more suitable to represent the wonderful people of Sheffield Central than her”
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