In our fifth interview ahead of the local election, Green candidate Katie Knight tells James Cracknell how the party could spring a surprise in Enfield

Enfield Green Party candidates campaigning in Southgate, including Katie Knight (third from right)

The Greens have been a mainstay of British politics for decades – but never have they enjoyed a bigger wave of popularity than under the leadership of Zack Polanski.

Could the Greens now be on course to cause an upset in Enfield, as they recently did in a Manchester by-election?

Katie Knight, who is standing for the party in Southgate where the Greens are campaigning hardest, believes they can do well. “If we can win in Southgate and also get a spread of other surprise hopefuls, it would be enough for a strong voice on the council,” she says.

“Just having a Green voice in the conversation really changes things. I think some people have discounted the outer London boroughs – Hackney and Islington [in inner London] have done amazing – but maybe some people have been sleeping on Enfield a bit.

“The mood in the air is that people want change. We are really offering that. I think the difference is, even speaking to friends and family [previously] they would say a Green vote is a waste, but it doesn’t hold any more, it is not a wasted vote.

“We have a got a fantastic group of MPs and there is a surge of councillors across the country – there is a London Green wave.”

While Polanski has described himself as an “eco populist”, Knight says that, regardless of who leads the party nationally, “the important thing with the Greens is that policy is directed by the members, so it is not coming down from the executive”.

On environmental issues, it’s no surprise to hear Greens defend cycle lanes and low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs), as well as opposing building on the Green Belt.

But Knight says that local voices continue to be important when it comes to LTNs. “I like what the Greens in Hackney are doing, which is they recognise that some of the LTNs have been quite controversial.

“They have said it is still the best overall approach but have recognised it is controversial and taken it all into consultation with wider measures to make sure no-one is adversely affected, because it should benefit everyone.”

Knight, who works as a doctor in the NHS, recognises there are similarities between Green policies and those put forward by Enfield Community Independents (ECI), a local left-wing alternative. But the Greens ultimately decided against any kind of electoral pact with ECI because they “want to stand in every ward” and give everyone a chance to vote Green.

On Enfield Labour’s record, Knight says the key impression voters have is that they “don’t feel listened to”, particularly on the Green Belt.

How would the Greens tackle the housing crisis?

“On a wider scale in London we know a lot of property is bought by foreign investors rather than local people,” says Knight. “A lot of chickens are now coming home to roost after selling off all the council housing – ‘Right to Buy’ has been a disaster. Some boroughs are now proposing buy-backs on what they should have owned all along.”

If no party wins overall control on 7^th May, would the Greens consider entering a coalition?

“For the Greens, collaboration is in our blood, it is what we like to do, so we would work with anybody who puts forward and develops policies that are good for local people. And we do listen to people. It is not about making pacts or alliances but working collaboratively.”

Would that include the Tories?

“If the Tories want to rip out cycle lanes [we wouldn’t agree] but that doesn’t mean we couldn’t find common ground with them elsewhere, like protecting Whitewebbs and the Green Belt.”

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