The man recently elected as Halton’s first ever Green councillor says it feels ‘surreal’ and wants to inspire others to follow in his footsteps.
Andrew Dyer won one of three seats in the new ward of Daresbury, Moore and Sandymoor at last week’s local elections, becoming the first member of the Green Party ever to hold a council seat in the borough.
One of nine new faces on the council, he is the only non-Labour newcomer, an achievement which saw him tweeted by the Green Party’s former leader and current Peer Natalie Bennett, and got him a Zoom meeting with the party’s current co-leader Sian Berry.
Speaking to the ECHO, he said: “It feels so amazing and surreal.
"I’ve read so many stories of other local authorities who have been positively influenced by even having a single Green councillor, and having that chance in Halton feels like the opportunity of a lifetime.”
The 43-year-old married dad of four has lived in Sandymoor since 2012 and works as a senior project manager. One of his projects involved the design and manufacture of what was the world’s largest offshore wind turbine blade.
Now he has moved into local politics, he said he plans to repay the people who voted for him by being visible and accessible, as well as by acting as a voice for local people.
Mr Dyer said: “It’ll be all about showing there is real value to having councillors who are also residents in the ward and have real skin in the game for the things that need to be improved.”
As the lone Green voice on the authority, he said he will need to work with other parties to get things done, but hopes to apply what he called a ‘green lens’ to some of the council’s activities.
He added that he hopes his recent success will inspire other people to follow him in running for election as Green candidates, but knows making inroads into Labour's dominance will not be easy.
He said: “I’ve already been talking to other Green Party councillors around the UK who now have two, three or in some cases many more representatives on their councils in the elections following a single breakthrough.
“What has been achieved in Bristol where the Green Party is now the joint largest party shows what is possible, but I’m sure is some way off in Halton.”
