Nannette Youssef and Georgie Oatley

Announcements for the Green Party of England and Wales Executive (GPEx) elections continue to come in thick and fast. Nominations closed at 12pm on June 30 – and no fewer than five candidates confirmed their candidacy the same day.

The latest of these is Nannette Youssef and Georgie Oatley, who are standing for the internal communications coordinator position on a job-share ticket. They join David Farbey in the race.

The internal communications post is being by-elected alongside the positions scheduled to be elected this year. The by-election is being held as a result of the resignation of Zoe Hatch from the role in February 2022.

Youssef was a City Councillor in Norwich from 2019-22 and has served as co-chair of Norwich Green Party. She was previously international officer for the Young Greens. She now works for an anti-racism think tank.

Meanwhile, Oatley has previously served as press officer for the Eastern Region Green Party and as publications coordinator for Norwich Green Party. Oatley now works as a communications professional for a sustainability start up.

Speaking to Bright Green, Youssef and Oatley said, “We’re incredibly excited to announce that we are standing for the role of internal communications coordinator in the upcoming GPEX elections. Together, we have a wealth of experience we would bring to the role, as well as professional experience working in communications and policy.”

The pair also said that they would use the role to, “Devise and deliver strategies for using our internal communications channels to build mass participation and engagement in all areas of our party – including mobilising hundreds of members to action days across the country, generating major energy around party conferences and events, and driving up turn-out in internal elections”. They went on to say they intend to, “Review and strengthen our welcome journey for new members so that they are instantly able to navigate the party structures, and easily get involved as active organisers, and develop and advise on plans for retention”, “develop a strategy to revitalise internal communications between members, and different parts of the party and, “ensure that the Green Party’s internal communication spaces are accessible and a safe place for all members, and our communication channels are internally aligned”.

Elections to GPEx take place every year, with half of the seats up for election.* Each elected post-holder serves for two years, and share collective responsibility for the party’s day to day management and financial health. In 2022, the positions up for election are:

  • Chair
  • Campaigns coordinator
  • Elections coordinator
  • External communications coordinator
  • Management coordinator
  • International coordinator
  • Trade union liaison officer

So far, the following candidates have publicly declared their intention to stand for GPEx:

Members will vote in the GPEx elections throughout the summer. The elections are being held concurrently with an election for deputy leader.

*Author’s note – the exception to this is for the position of Wales Green Party leader, and Young Greens co-chair. Both of these positions have a seat on GPEx, but are elected through the rules set out in each organisation’s constitution.

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