GPEx election candidate Jack Lenox

The clock is ticking for candidates to get their nominations in for the Green Party of England and Wales’ executive (GPEx) elections. The nominations period ends on June 30.

Today, a second candidate has come forward for the position of publications coordinator. Jack Lenox has announced he is standing for the role – joining Danny Keeling in the race.

Lenox is currently membership secretary for Allerdale & Copeland Copeland Green Party, and was the Green Party’s candidate for Copeland both the 2017 and 2019 general elections. He has also served as internal communications coordinator on GPEx for a brief stint period after being co-opted.

Lenox is leaning heavily on his background in both print and digital publishing in his campaign. He currently works as a software engineer for Automattic – the tech company behind WordPress.com and Tumblr – and when a student, he founded his college’s student newspaper.

In terms of substantial campaign pledges, Lenox has committed to working towards returning the party’s official internal publication – Green World – to a print format. In doing so, he wants to see it published twice a year to coincide with the party’s Spring and Autumn conferences. Lenox claimed this would assist in “engaging the wider membership” and alleged that the party currently receives poor value for money from the digital only version of Green World.

Speaking to Bright Green on his candidacy, Lenox said:

Coming from a career in digital publishing, I have the ideal skill set to lead the Green Party in its transition to new and better digital publications. Technology is where we can punch above our weight. Reimagining and opening up our Target To Win resources to all our activists, engaging our wider membership through Green World, and beating the other parties when it comes to digital manifestos and election materials.

Wider field

Lenox isn’t the only candidate to have put their name forward for the GPEx elections in the last few days. Earlier this week, Florence Pollock and Matt Browne announced they were standing as a job share for the position of management coordinator. Meanwhile, Liam McClelland and Peter Underwood put their names forward for policy development coordinator and external communications coordinator respectively.

And yesterday, former Lord Mayor of Bristol Cleo Lake announced she would be entering the race to be the party’s next deputy leader. On her candidacy, Lake told Bright Green:

In deciding to run as deputy I am very conscious of the political landscape for women and women of colour, but representation is crucial and by standing I would hope to inspire other activists of various backgrounds to enter the political arena because I believe change can come from within and from outside of the mainstream system.

Lake joins incumbent deputy leader Amelia Womack and London based Green activist Nick Humberstone in the deputy leadership contest.

Eleven positions on GPEx are up for election this year. The full list of announced candidates at the time of publication is as follows:

  • Leader or co-leaders – Jonathan Bartley & Sian Berry
  • Deputy Leader – Nick Humberstone; Amelia Womack; Cleo Lake
  • Chair – Benjamin Smith & Ashley Routh; Ewan Jones
  • Campaigns Co-ordinator – Daniel Laycock
  • Elections Co-ordinator – Kai Taylor & Claire Stephenson; Joe Levy & Laurie Needham
  • External Communications Co-ordinator – Peter Underwood
  • Management Co-ordinator – Florence Pollock & Matt Browne
  • International Co-ordinator – Sam Murray & Alice Hubbard; Alex Horn & Erwin Schaefer
  • Policy Development Co-ordinator – Liam McClelland
  • Publications Co-ordinator – Danny Keeling; Jack Lenox
  • Trade Union Liaison Officer – Paul Valentine & Matthew Hull; Kefentse Dennis

Nominations close on June 30 for all GPEx positions. Members will vote for their new executive throughout August.

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