Sam Peters selected as Green Parliamentary Candidate for Guildford

Sam Peters, Green Party PPC for Guildford

Green Party members have selected Sam Peters, GWGP co-chair, as the Green candidate to contest the parliamentary seat of Guildford in the next General Election.

Sam was born and grew up in Guildford, and has stood in local elections before – last year coming just 62 votes shy of being elected onto Guildford Borough Council in Stoke ward.

He is deeply involved in local projects and community work, most notably with Zero Carbon Guildford, where he was a trustee until standing down earlier this year. Sam remains a key member of ZCG and many ZERO-supported projects such as the Community Fridge, water testing on the River Wey, free community energy surveys (HEAT) and more.

Sam is also founder of local community library Green Read Share, a core member of Surrey Climate Commission, and current co-chair of Guildford & Waverley Green Party, alongside other volunteer roles. His previous work at the University of Surrey led to him becoming an intensive care researcher shortly before covid. Last year, he switched careers into home energy efficiency.

Sam Peters - Green Party candidate for Guildford image

Sam has been a member of the Green Party since 2010. He says, “My first ever vote, as a student, was for the Lib Dems – shortly before they abandoned their election pledges and propped up a Conservative government, which has since led to 14 years of total disaster for the country. I joined the Greens immediately after.

“I’m often told I must have particular opinions or beliefs because I’m a Green. It’s completely the reverse – I’m a Green because of my opinions and beliefs. On everything from climate to equality, public services to peace, democracy to tax, I find the Greens are the only party committed to genuine change, while the others increasingly follow the ruinous Conservative lead”.

Aware of the enormous damage successive Conservative governments had done to the country, and the impacts of our undemocratic voting system, the Green Party did not stand in Guildford in 2019. This was to avoid further splitting the vote of the majority of local residents who did not want a Conservative MP. Unfortunately, less than 45% of the vote was enough to hand them the seat.

Sam believes now is the perfect time to stand again for Guildford. Not only will the Conservatives lose this election heavily as things stand, but also both Labour and Liberal Democrats have never been so far from the bold, transformative policies the Green Party offers.

He continues, “No other party will end sewage dumping and rank corruption by renationalising water; cut bills and end fuel poverty by properly insulating all homes; provide jobs and real energy security with clean, cheap renewables; ensure those with the broadest shoulders pay their fair share to support a decent and healthy society for all; reverse hundreds of disastrous new fossil fuel licences; run public services for the public good, rather than private profit; and so on. Merely tinkering around the edges of a failed system is simply not good enough.

“I will champion these values and policies in this general election campaign – the first in decades where voters can feel free to vote for the policies they want, rather than just against the worst option. These policies will set the standard for all candidates, and I’m thrilled to see the support we’ve had so far from people across the constituency from all walks of life”.