The second person to be running in the next General Election has been confirmed in Macclesfield.

James Booth will be standing for the Green Party, for the next parliamentary elections, likely to be held between May 2024 and January 2025.

He is the second confirmed candidate after Macclesfield MP David Rutley recently announced his intention to run again for Westminster.

The law and history graduate is a barrister by trade. He is known in the community as a prior long-standing trustee of St Michael's Church, where he also runs a youth group. He also participates in grassroots football, managing a club on Windmill Street.

In a statement to Macclesfield Nub News, he revealed why he's thrown his hat into the ring.

"I would be honoured to stand as your Green Party candidate in Macclesfield and would do my best to represent the Green Party at any forthcoming General Election," he said.

"We must protect our environment, not just for us and our children, but also for our children's grandchildren. So we need to push for a radical change to switch to renewable energy, solar, wind, and tidal, much more than we are currently doing. I also fundamentally believe that control of energy should be at the most local level possible, for example, Congleton Hydro Project and Stockport Hydro at Otterspool Bridge.

"So what does that translate to in Macclesfield constituency – it's things like the campaign to protect Danes Moss from development, the protection of the 81 trees at Poynton Pool, and the '20 is plenty' campaign for Cheshire East.

"The idea that Danes Moss might be developed is abhorrent. We must do everything we can as part of the campaign to save it, and I will take an active role in that campaign. 

"Cheshire East Council is at the same time planning to remove at least 44 trees from Poynton Pool with another 37 trees at risk of removal. Poynton Pool is a Site of Biological Importance and also a Habitat of Principle Importance. The reason given for the removal is a 1 in 10,000 chance of the Pool flooding from a 2 square km catchment area. Having grown up near Poynton, I will also campaign to protect the Pool and its trees.

"I fundamentally believe in '20s is plenty', both from a road safety perspective and also in encouraging people to use alternative methods of transport, such as cycling and walking, which are better for the environment. I will put 20s Plenty at the forefront of any campaign, which will hopefully be of help in seeking to persuade Cheshire East Council to change its mind and provide residents with safer streets.

"Allied with our environmental commitments, we must push for a radical change to how we live as a society. I believe that environmental concerns would gain much more traction in a society which is healthy, less under pressure and less divided amongst itself. So I wholeheartedly subscribe to the Green Party's policies to reduce the massive inequality between rich and poor – we need significant wealth taxes, with wealth being redistributed from the rich to the poor. Let's not be afraid to be socialist – it transpires that nobody else is prepared to be! We should not be afraid to stand up for what we believe in, an economically fairer and thus less stressed society.

"In addition, I would put constitutional reform to the fore in any campaign:- proportional representation, an entirely elected legislative body within a republic, and power at the most local level possible with continued devolution.

"Finally, I believe in complete nuclear disarmament on the part of the UK to show the way for the rest of the world.

"I have been the elections officer for the Cheshire East Green Party since January 2018, and was also CEGP secretary from January 2017 until January 2020. I was on the North West MEP list in the European elections in 2019 (number 8 of 8!). I was elected as the North West Green Party Secretary in 2021, and held this role on a job share. I stood for Hurdsfield in 2019, and aim to stand for Poynton East and Pott Shrigley in 2023 [for Cheshire East Council's May elections], which actually incorporates Poynton Pool. In the absence of any other candidate, I stood for Wilmslow Dean Row in the 2021 by-election. Most recently, I have been working on the Congleton East campaign.

"I am a trustee of Cre8, a charity based on the Moss Ross estate in Macclesfield, which works with young people living there as well as operating a food grocery. In particular, I oversee the legal side of the charity.

"I help to run the youth group at St Michael's in Macclesfield [on Market Place], and also sit on an oversight committee for youth work in the church.

"I grew up in Adlington and lived there for around 25 years and so have significant connections with Adlington and Poynton, including having campaigned in Poynton in 2015 supporting our candidate for councillor, actually my mum!

"Professionally, I worked as a barrister for 14 years and now teach the barristers of the future civil litigation, drafting, opinion writing and advocacy. I also teach public law and contract law."

The local Green politician, who came fourth out of fifth in the 2017 General Election and fourth in the 2019 General Election, will be throwing his hat again in the ring for Macclesfield when Rishi Sunak calls the next General Election.

He's also lived in Disley, another part of the Macclesfield parliamentary constituency.

Mr Booth more than doubled his vote share in the two years, and last time out got 2,310 of 53,867 votes, making 4.3% of the vote share.

The next General Election will mark the fifth time Macclesfield has had a Green Party candidate wanting to become an MP.

Mr Booth also ran to be a Cheshire East Councillor in 2019, and competed against the late Labour Hurdsfield Cllr Stephen Carter, who passed away in December 2022. Booth was one of many to pay tribute to him.

Macclesfield: You can find more about the Green Party in the local area on the Cheshire East Green Party website.

James' candidacy means the Green Party join the Conservatives as the two current confirmed candidates for the next General Election. The Lib Dems, Labour and other candidates could also stand.

See Also: 30 flats likely to come to Victorian mill in Macclesfield 

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