It is easy to let the January blues get the better of us. Cheltenham Town and Gloucester Rugby are
languishing at the wrong end of their respective tables, the days are short, we may have already
abandoned dry January and the credit card bills from December’s overindulgence will shortly be with
us.
In this first edition of the New Year, I want to provide some positivity and call on Cheltonians to seize
the upcoming political opportunities
Our Town
Despite its challenges, Cheltenham remains one of the best places to live in the country. We have
the Cotswold hills on our doorstep, some of the finest parks, many great schools and colleges and
outstanding facilities be it restaurants, shops or leisure activities.
Our Country
While there is much wrong with UK, we must be thankful to live in a country which is not suffering
from political repression, famine, severe flooding, earthquakes or war. In 2023 wars around the
world resulted in a 28-year high for deaths from conflict. We hear a lot about Ukraine and Gaza in
the news, but conflicts continue in Syria, Libya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Myanmar, Nagorno-Karabakh, the
DRC, Kosovo and Haiti….to name just a few. We cannot imagine what these peoples are going
through. Are we surprised so many people are having to flee their own country and taking so many
risks to their own lives to do so?
Our Political System
It has come under attack from a wave of populism which began with Brexit in 2016 but appears to
be on the decline following the demise of Boris Johnson et al. Thankfully we can still vote out the
politicians we do not agree with and in 2024 that matters! We have elections in Cheltenham in May
for the borough council and at some point, for the Parliamentary seat in Westminster. This is the
year you need to ensure you are registered to vote. It can make a positive difference.
This is the year your vote can end the two-party state Cheltenham has suffered for far too long. This
is the year your vote can improve representation on the borough council, bringing an end to the
dominance of the Lib Dems. This is the year your vote - for anyone but the Conservatives - will bring
about a change in government
If you have any questions about this article or want to raise any issues with me as your Green Parliamentary Candidate for Cheltenham, you can contact me at directly at daniel.wilson@cheltenham.greenparty.org.uk
